Foreign Ministry on the British Swedes: “You can get to Sweden”

Image: NTB / TT

After Sweden joined the ranks of EU countries deciding to introduce a stopover on direct flights from the UK on December 21, there has been some confusion among the roughly 100,000 Swedes living in the country.

That the situation was unclear to many was also noted at the Swedish embassy in London before the Christmas weekend, Åsa Höjer, the embassy’s press manager, told TT.

– Since the flight ban was introduced, up to 1,000 people have listened by email or phone. We were also more open on the phone on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to answer the questions we received.

The confusion about which rules actually apply, and what opportunities there are for Swedes who want to reach Sweden, is also evident from the lively discussion that has been going on on social media among Swedes living in the UK since it was introduced. the stop.

Here members ask questions about alternative travel routes, advice on means of transport or other EU countries where you, as a traveler, can make a stop and hopefully be able to travel to Sweden.

One piece of advice that has appeared more and more frequently during the discussion in recent days among British Swedes on social media is the possibility of booking a flight to Denmark in order to move to Sweden from there.

Åsa Höjer urges travelers, however, to find out exactly in this case, as well as the exact rules that apply from the Danish authorities.

– As embassy, ​​we mean the authorities of each country or the respective Swedish embassy in the country in question. Most of the time we refer to the website of all foreign authorities – “Sweden Abroad” – and when it comes to the situation in Denmark, there is also the site coronasmitte.dk.

State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell also commented on Monday afternoon on the possibility of Swedes in the UK reaching Sweden via Denmark, then repeated the authority’s recommendation to all travelers to undergo sampling and self-quarantine.

“Our recommendation for infection control not only applies to those who have traveled by plane, it also applies to everyone who comes,” Tegnell told TT.

In addition to Denmark, France is the country that appears several times in the discussion on social networks as a possible country of transit for Swedish travelers on their way from the UK, something that, however, requires a negative corona test that It must have been done no later than 72 hours before the trip.

However, even with regard to France, Åsa Höjer reiterates that, as a traveler, you are always extremely responsible for checking what applies to the local authorities in the country you will be traveling through.

– It is clear that it is possible to get to Sweden, but you have to find out for yourself what applies. And one must be prepared for the fact that many things are happening and that the situation can change in a short time.