Europe

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• General
 

Travel Summary

• There are confirmed human cases of Swine Flu in Sweden.  The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised its Pandemic Threat Alert Phase to Level 6.  The WHO website at: www.who.int has further details. Check Swine Flu for further information.  Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk.  See the Health section of this Travel Advice.
  
  
• There is an underlying threat from terrorism.  Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• Sweden can be affected by severe cold in the winter months, particularly in the North.  You should be prepared for harsh conditions and if driving in the winter months cars should be winterised.
  
  
• Over half a million British nationals visit Sweden each year (Source: Swedish Central Office for Statistics).  Most visits to Sweden are trouble-free.  105 British nationals required consular assistance in Sweden in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident; deaths (9 cases); hospitalisations (2 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (83 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (121 cases).  If you need to contact the emergency services in Sweden call 112.
  
  
• You should check carefully the bona fides of anyone offering employment opportunities involving asphalting or seasonal work, and should contact the British Embassy in Stockholm for further advice.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.  See the General (Insurance) section of this Travel Advice and Travel Insurance page.

Safety and security

Terrorism

There is an underlying threat from terrorism.  Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. For more general information see Terrorism Abroad page.

Crime

Sweden is generally a low crime country to visit.  Petty crime occurs, but at much lower levels than in most European countries.  Pickpocketing can be a problem in the summer months in the major cities when tourists are targeted for their passports and cash.
 For more general information see Victims of Crime Abroad page.
  Political Situation

Sweden Country Profile.

Local Travel

Travelling within Sweden is easy.  Although you may need to cover large distances (especially in Northern Sweden), the country's road and rail networks are efficient and extensive.  Sweden's comfortable, modern trains are designed to deal with all kinds of weather.

Road Travel

If you are travelling by car you should note that driving conditions during the winter months of November to March can be extremely treacherous due to snow and ice.

From 1 December - 31 March (irrespective of weather conditions) Swedish registered cars are required by law to have either studded tyres or unstudded friction tyres bearing the following mark, M+S, M-s, M.S, M&S, MS or Mud and Snow.

Although foreign registered cars are exempt from this requirement, it would still be advisable to have winter tyres fitted.

In 2008 there were 397 road deaths in Sweden (source: DfT).  This equates to 4.3 road deaths per 100,000 of the same average ratio as in the UK.
 For more general information see Driving Abroad page.

Rail Travel

For rail travel see www.sj.se/sj/jsp/polopoly.

Air Travel

The revised EU-wide security measures that came into effect for all passengers departing from UK airports in November 2006 are also being implemented in Sweden.  For more details about this see Airline Security

Local laws and customs

Importation of illegal drugs, including khat, is heavily punished.  For more general information for different types of travellers see Your Trip page.

Entry requirements

Visas

Visas are not required to enter Sweden.  As a British passport holder you can stay as a visitor for up to three months.  If you intend to stay for a longer period you should contact a Migration Board office.

Passport validity

You need a passport or a National Identity Card (see the website of the Identity and Passports Service (IPS)) to enter Sweden.

You should be in possession of a valid passport.  There is no minimum validity required but you should ensure that your passport is valid for your return journey.

Travelling with children

If you are travelling with children other than your own you should be in possession of a letter of consent from the child’s parent/guardian.

Health

Health care facilities in Sweden are generally very good.  Almost all medical staff will speak English.  Pharmacies are not generally open outside normal working hours, which means they are closed on Sundays and observe limited hours on Saturdays.  Emergency prescriptions can be obtained at hospitals. If you are visiting remote areas you should consider the relative inaccessibility of the emergency services.  The telephone number for emergencies in Sweden is 112.

The Form E111 is no longer valid.  You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK.  The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Swedish nationals.  It also does not cover you for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature.  For more general information see EHIC.

Tick-borne encephalitis is common to Sweden, especially in the summer months around coastal areas, especially the Stockholm Archipelago.  

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 6,200 adults aged 15 or over in Sweden were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 0.1% of the adult population. This compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%.  You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS page.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to Sweden and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date.  For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the  NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland’s Fit for Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

For more general health information see Travel Health page.
  Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)

The Swedish authorities have confirmed that there have been outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in ducks and wild birds at various locations in Sweden.  No domestic birds have been identified as having the virus.  No human infections or deaths have been reported.

The risk to humans from Avian Influenza is believed to be very low. As a precaution, you should avoid visiting live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where you may come into close contact with domestic, caged or wild birds; and ensure poulty and egg dishes are thoroughly cooked.  You should read this advice in conjunction with Avian and Pandemic Influenza, which gives more detailed advice and information.

Swine Flu

There are confirmed human cases of Swine Flu in Sweden. You can check for updates on the number of cases and their location through the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control website (in Swedish). The World Health Organisation (WHO) Pandemic Threat Alert Phase remains at Level 6.  The WHO website has further details. You should also monitor local media reports for any developments and advice. There is a dedicated Swine Flu page on the FCO website. Guidance on Pandemic Flu can be obtained on the UK Department of Health website.

General

Insurance

We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake.  For more general information see Travel Insurance page.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas see When Things Go Wrong page.

Registration

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.  More information about registering with LOCATE can be found here.

Extreme weather conditions

Sweden, and in particular the north of the country, does get affected by severe cold weather during the winter months.  Temperatures can be extremely low, and if you visit in winter you should be prepared for these harsh conditions.

Replacing your passport

If you lose your passport in Sweden, you should contact the British Embassy in Stockholm .  The British Embassy in Stockholm has a full passport issuing service, which operates on a 10-day service.

Money

Remember the currency for Sweden is Swedish Krona and not the Euro.  Since 15 June 2007 new legislation on the controls of cash entering or leaving the EU applies in all Member States.  Any person entering or leaving the EU will have to declare the cash that they are carrying if this amounts to 10,000 euros or more; this includes cheques, travellers' cheques, money orders, etc.  This will not apply to anyone travelling viathe EU to a non-EU country, as long as the original journey started outside of the EU nor to those travelling within the EU.