Sweden Bans Residents of Uruguay From Entering Its Territory
The Swedish government has updated the entry ban on third-country nationals in accordance with the recommendation of the Council of the European Union of December 17, excluding Uruguay from the list.
The update means that after January 20, the residents of Uruguay will no longer be eligible to enter the territory of Sweden for non-essential purposes, as they could up until now.
“The amendments concern the exemption for residents of a certain specified non-EU country and is in line with the Council of the European Union’s latest recommendation to the EU Member States,” the government notes in a press release.
Sweden imposed the entry ban on all arrivals from third-country citizens back on March 19, 2020, amid the Coronavirus outbreak in Europe. The ban was initially set to last for only 30 days, but as the situation deteriorated, it was extended several times, to this extent.
For now, the ban is set to remain in place until March 31, 2021, but if the situation does not improve in terms of Coronavirus cases detected in Sweden and further in the world, then the ban will be extended further.
Sweden implements several exemptions to the ban, according to the recommendation of the Council, including the exemption on entry for essential purposes, as well as from the following third countries where the situation is not risky:
- Australia
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Rwanda
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Thailand
- China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity
Uruguay has been part of the list since June 30, when the Council first published it, due to the low number of cases detected in its territory at the time, until December 17, 2020, when an increase of cases in the country was detected.
In spite of being removed from the list of epidemiologically safe third-countries, some residents of Uruguay still can enter Sweden and other EU countries, including Individuals holding a residence permit or right to reside in Sweden or another EEA country, holders of a national visa for Sweden or another EEA country, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Switzerland or the Vatican.
Eligible to enter are also individuals with a proved family connection, i.e., spouse, common-law partner, partner or child, to a Swedish citizen, EEA citizen or a foreigner holding residence permit or national visa in Sweden or an EEA country, as well as healthcare professionals, those who work in the sector of transportation of goods, seafarers, military staff, students of Swiss higher education institutions, etc.