Sweden announced extension on entry ban until 15 May 2020

The Swedish Ministry of Justice published an official statement on 16 April 2020. The subject is in regard of entry ban extension and Covid-19 pandemic situation. The statement said:

“Today the Government decided to extend the temporary entry ban to the EU via Sweden that began on 19 March and initially applied for 30 days. The entry ban has now been extended up to 15 May in accordance with the recommendation of the European Commission.The aim of the entry ban is, as previously, to mitigate the effects of the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and reduce the outbreak of COVID-19.

There have been no material changes to the entry ban. In the same way as before, the entry ban essentially applies to all foreign citizens travelling to Sweden from all countries except EU Member States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

Swedish citizens are not affected by the entry ban. Nor does the entry ban prevent travel within the EU. In addition, there are two important exemptions to the entry ban. Firstly, people who have a residence permit in Sweden may still enter the country for the purpose of returning to their homes. Secondly, people with particularly urgent needs or who are to carry out essential functions in Sweden may enter the country. This may be healthcare professionals, staff transporting goods or people with imperative family reasons, for example.

You can read more about the limited possi­bi­li­ties of obtai­ning a visa to Sweden on the Swedish Migration Agency’s website.

About Zazithorn Ruengchinda

ScandAsia Journalist • Scandinavian Publishing Co., Ltd. • Bangkok Thailand

View all posts by Zazithorn Ruengchinda

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