Sweden Becomes 22nd Country To Remove All Entry Requirements
From April 1st, all international travelers won’t be subject to any entry requirements to visit Sweden.
The Swedish government released a statement on Friday saying that the current ban on travelers from outside the EU/EEA (European Economic Area) will not be extended. As the ban expires on March 31, 2022, this will subsequently lift all restrictions for travelers coming to Sweden from outside the EU.
Proof Of Vaccination Or Test No Longer Required As Of April 1
Once the new travel rules go into effect, it also means that starting April 1st, all proof of vaccination and Covid tests for entry will no longer be required to travel to Sweden, regardless of what country the traveler is coming from.
With the restrictions that currently stand, only travelers from the list of approved third countries (non EU/EEA) can enter Sweden with a valid Covid vaccination certificate. This will no longer be the case once the ban expires at the end of the month.
Sweden Another European Nation To Drop Covid Travel Restrictions
The news will make Sweden the 22nd nation to drop all Covid-related travel requirements. It will end two years of restrictions on international travelers to Sweden due to the pandemic, which was put in place back in March 2020.
Swedish Minister for Justice and Home Affairs, Morgan Johansson, made this statement following this week’s news: “We have already lifted the entry ban within the EU. Now the Government has decided not to extend the entry ban from third countries. This will make it much easier for everyone who has been prevented from coming to Sweden in recent years due to the pandemic.”
We Are Entering A New Phase Of The Pandemic – Officials Say
According to the local report, Covid-19 will no longer be categorized as a public health warning starting next week on April 1st. The claim is that high vaccination rates mixed with a lower risk of severe illness due to the latest Omicron variant no longer make the virus a serious threat.
Swedish Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson, uttered this same sentiment in early February when the government announced they would be lifting all internal restrictions for locals and travelers.
The removal of internal restrictions including mask-wearing and vaccine passports went into effect on February 9th throughout Sweden. In a statement, Prime Minister Andersson explained that while the pandemic is not over, “we are heading into a new phase.”
This new tone and approach of “living with the virus” is apparent in a number of countries throughout Europe, many of which eased or completely removed all Covid-related travel restrictions in recent months. This includes the neighboring Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and Finland.
And with more internal travel restrictions being dropped in countries around the world, it looks like many aspects of international travel as we know it will be back in full swing by summer 2022.
Sweden Eased Travel Restrictions In Early 2022
In January, Sweden removed its pre-departure testing requirement for all international travelers, including those coming from the US and Canada.
While officials kept the requirement for proof of vaccination in place for incoming international travelers, it was the first step in easing all entry requirements throughout the country.
Recap of Sweden’s Entry Requirements As Of April 1, 2022
All travelers can enter Sweden as of April 1, 2022, without any covid-related travel restrictions. Only the normal immigration processes that existed before the pandemic are in effect. This means travelers, regardless of citizenship or origin country can enter Sweden with
- No pre-departure test
- No on arrival test
- No post-arrival test
- No quarantine
- No proof of vaccination
- No health forms or covid questionnaires
Destinations That Have Scrapped Restrictions This Month
Along with the other Nordic countries, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Ireland Romania, Hungary, and the UK are among the list of nations that have recently eased their external as well as internal travel restrictions. This is only in Europe, however. Earlier in March, Jordan and Curacao eliminated all entry requirements for international travelers. And the list of countries without any travel restrictions continues to grow.
Source: https://bit.ly/3iING5Y
