The requirement for a negative Covid test is now the main rule for foreigners who want to travel to Sweden.

From the border, the police report a relatively calm first day.

”We had to ask about 40 vehicles to turn back,” says Lars Öberg, local police area manager for Eastern Norrbotten.

A ban on entry to Sweden has previously applied to foreigners travelling from countries outside the EU/EEA and from Denmark, Norway and the UK. However, there are a number of exceptions to the ban.

But those who are exempt from the entry ban must, as a general rule, starting on Saturday, be able to show a certificate of negative Covid test at the border.

The test must be no more than 48 hours old, and antibody tests are not accepted.

The government's new regulation is valid until March 31.

There is no official national figure for how many have been rejected since the new requirements came into effect – at midnight on Saturday night – but police in several regions report a relatively calm working day with no problems related to certificates.

Ewa-Gun Westford at Region South says there has been a 20 percent increase in rejections on Saturday but that only a handful of them lacked valid test certificates.

”"It's been pretty quiet so far. We're using the weekend to test print and see if we've got the right staffing," she says.

The border with Finland had the greatest load at Haparanda and Tornio.

There, the police checked 340 vehicles and turned away around 40 because they lacked a valid certificate. Two pedestrians had to turn around for the same reason.

”"It has gone well. It has happened under good understanding, without us having to use any form of authority," says Lars Öberg, local police area manager for Eastern Norrbotten.

There is no information yet from the border with Norway in Bergslagen.

Source: TT