International travel
It is a good idea to find out before you travel if the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (“Utrikesdepartementet” or “UD”) has issued a travel advisory for your destination.
Travel and health insurance
In Sweden, travel cover for 45 days is usually included in your home insurance. Please check with your insurance company for terms and conditions.
You may also have some insurance cover if you have purchased your trip with a bank card. Check with the card issuer for details.
If you are travelling within the EU/EEA, you must bring your European health insurance card. Order EU cards via the Försäkringskassan website.
Your passport
Please note that some countries require your passport to be valid for six months on your return trip. Passports and national ID cards are the only valid documents that can prove your identity and your citizenship. Driving licences are not considered as travel documents. Apply to the police for a passport or national ID card if you are a Swedish citizen or to your country’s embassy if you have a citizenship other than Swedish.
If you lose your passport during your trip, please contact your country’s embassy or consulate where you happen to be.
Read up on your destination
Find out as much as you can about the country you are travelling to. Sweden’s embassies have travel information in Swedish on Sweden Abroad. You can also get travel information via the UD Resklar app.
Follow news reports about the country to which you are travelling.
If you are travelling to a country outside Europe, you should also find out if you need any vaccinations.
Remember, it is the destination country's legislation that applies. It may look very different from Swedish law, for example, with regard to criminal law and child custody. In some countries there may be special rules for outbound travel for children, such as a requirement for consent from one or both parents to leave the country.
Travel advisories
The Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD) advises against travel to a country, or parts of a country, where the security situation is deemed to be very dangerous, unpredictable or rapidly changing.
If you choose to travel despite the Ministry's advice, your ordinary travel insurance does not usually apply. Check with your insurance company for particulars.
An advisory against travel often means that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassies have limited opportunities to provide consular support.
Sign up for the Swedish list and download the UD Resklar app
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs (UD) recommends that all Swedes who are abroad register their stay on what is known as the 'Swedish list'. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Swedish Embassy can then contact you if a major crisis situation should arise.
In an emergency situation abroad
After events where many people affected or feared to be, it is crucial that relatives or friends in Sweden be informed.
Call home or notify via social media. Use one of the electronic services available for this purpose, such as the Facebook Safety Check. Certain services also allow relatives to register and search for named persons.
Register on the Swedish list so that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs or the nearest Swedish embassy or consulate can contact you if necessary.
In the event of extensive crisis events, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs can open special telephone lines for affected Swedes and relatives.
Stay informed about and follow the local authorities’ advice
Follow the development of events through the media and the embassy’s travel information.
Follow the advice of the national and local authorities.
Krisinformation.se publishes confirmed information about events abroad that affect Swedish citizens and people connected to Sweden.
If you need medical care or other practical help
Contact your insurance company’s emergency centre if you need medical care or other practical help.
Contact your local embassy for specific advice on how to solve problems. In the event of an emergency, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs may also be contacted. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on-call is staffed around the clock every day of the year and handles urgent matters outside the embassy’s office hours.
Contact airlines or other travel operators to rebook tickets.