Sweden tightens restrictions for tourists from six countries including the US
Sweden's entry restrictions today come back into force for travellers from the US and five other countries.
The Swedish government last week formally extended Sweden’s non-EU/EEA entry ban until October 31st, as The Local reported last week.
There are several exceptions to the ban including those travelling for specific reasons, as well as from certain countries, but six countries were on Thursday removed from the exempt list of “safe countries”: the United States, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia, based on a rise in Covid-19 infections in those countries. From September 6th, the entry ban applies to these countries, too.
EXPLAINED: Can non-EU travellers get to Sweden via Denmark?
That doesn’t necessarily mean all travel from those countries will be banned, as travellers may fall into another exempted category, such as travelling for urgent family reasons or if they have EU citizenship or a Swedish residence permit.
The decision to reimpose restrictions on these six countries came from an EU recommendation.
Q&A: Answers to your questions about Sweden’s latest travel rules
Sweden currently makes no distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers when it comes to travel from outside the European Union, but the government hinted that further exemptions for vaccinated travellers "resident in certain third countries" may be on the way.
“There are a number of countries with which Sweden has close relations. There, the government will now investigate the possibility of exempting fully vaccinated residents in certain third countries,” Interior Minister Mikael Damberg told the TT news agency on Thursday.
“I am thinking primarily of the United Kingdom, but also the United States, even though the United States is more complex and many states have very different rules.”
Neither he nor the government's statement on Thursday gave any indication as to when such exemptions may be introduced.
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The Swedish government last week formally extended Sweden’s non-EU/EEA entry ban until October 31st, as The Local reported last week.
There are several exceptions to the ban including those travelling for specific reasons, as well as from certain countries, but six countries were on Thursday removed from the exempt list of “safe countries”: the United States, Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia, based on a rise in Covid-19 infections in those countries. From September 6th, the entry ban applies to these countries, too.
EXPLAINED: Can non-EU travellers get to Sweden via Denmark?
That doesn’t necessarily mean all travel from those countries will be banned, as travellers may fall into another exempted category, such as travelling for urgent family reasons or if they have EU citizenship or a Swedish residence permit.
The decision to reimpose restrictions on these six countries came from an EU recommendation.
Q&A: Answers to your questions about Sweden’s latest travel rules
Sweden currently makes no distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers when it comes to travel from outside the European Union, but the government hinted that further exemptions for vaccinated travellers "resident in certain third countries" may be on the way.
“There are a number of countries with which Sweden has close relations. There, the government will now investigate the possibility of exempting fully vaccinated residents in certain third countries,” Interior Minister Mikael Damberg told the TT news agency on Thursday.
“I am thinking primarily of the United Kingdom, but also the United States, even though the United States is more complex and many states have very different rules.”
Neither he nor the government's statement on Thursday gave any indication as to when such exemptions may be introduced.
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