Dcislander

Hello all. Hoping that anyone who has done this route or is familiar with it can provide some feedback.

Family of 4 Americans. 2 adults and one teen vaccinated. 10 year old not vac'd. We have tickets to go to Iceland in July and we meet all of Iceland's requirements for entry. We then have tickets to fly to Stockholm from Reykjavik. We plan on getting tested before and all through our travel plans, even when not required by airline/country.

For entrance into Sweden, the Swedish Police information site says:I am a U.S. citizen travelling to Sweden via Iceland. Do I need a negative test? No, since you travel from Sweden directly from Iceland, Sweden does not require a negative test. You will be processed for immigration into the Schengen area in Iceland according to Icelandic rules. The requirements for entering Iceland needs to be checked with Icelandic authorities.

From that, and info about entering Sweden from Iceland we thought we would be fine with our plans. This is on Sweden's website:
Entry from Denmark, Finland, Iceland or Norway

• Exempted from the entry ban.
• Exempted from the requirement to present a negative covid-19 test.
• Does not need to follow the the Public Health Agency of Sweden's recommendations after arrival if no symptoms are present.

My concern is that the IcelandAir website says:

IMPORTANT! Third-country citizens who are exempt from travel restrictions to Iceland are NOT permitted to travel from Iceland to another Schengen country unless he/she can provide proof to be exempt from travel restrictions in the respective state.

This information from IcelandAir is different from what is on Sweden’s website. So... Would be be permitted to board our flight from Iceland to Stockholm?
Icelandair refers all questions to the Swedish embassy. The Swedish embassy refers all questions to their website. It's as clear as mud.

Anyone have any experience with this route during these times? Many thanks for your thoughts.

YYZ1313

I don't think Americans are allowed into Sweden right now regardless of vaccination or test status.

Dcislander

I thought so too but received this note from the embassy:

If you are traveling to Sweden via transit through a different EU country that country’s travel restrictions will be applied in your individual case. Since every member state has individually implemented the EU entry ban it’s important that you check with the country that’s your first point of entry.

YYZ1313

If the rules aren't clear, odds are the airline won't let you fly so I wouldn't count on it working out at the moment.

Dcislander

The rules are as clear as mud

BUT... just got this note back from the Swedish embassy in Iceland:As stated in the website there are no travel restrictions when travelling to Sweden from the Nordic countries regardless of the foreigner's citizenship.

I have contacted Icelandair and was informed that Icelandair does not impose any restrictions on passengers other than those imposed on the airline by the government.

GUWonder

I have no reports about how it would go on a US-KEF-ARN flight for a vaccinated US tourist taking the shortest scheduled trip to go on Icelandair to go from the US to visit Sweden. I would suggest going to CPH instead.

Well, not on direct itineraries from the US; but as of this past weekend for Denmark-Sweden commercial surface transport, Sweden phased out border control staffing on a weekend for the first time since the winter vacation period ended and is not doing passport control checks for people coming from CPH into Sweden by commercial surface transport means on the basis of COVID-related rules. While before COVID, Sweden would at times look in US passports for Schengen entry stamps (and dates), that was more the exception than the norm in the Q4 2015-Q1 2020 period. Personally, I doubt we will be seeing reports of Swedish passport control turning back any Americans to Denmark in the next few weeks were they to cross the bridge or take the ferries to southern Sweden.

Im a new user

If you somehow manage to enter a European Economic Area country (of which Iceland is one), then you can go to Sweden.

YYZ1313

Interesting. I didn't know that.

the810

We won't because it's explicitly allowed now. Even if there is a border check, they will admit Americans (or anyone else) arriving from a Nordic country under normal Schengen rules.

The trouble for OP is that Iceland used to have some kind of an exit restriction, but I'm not sure whether it's still in place.

Dcislander

OP here. From what I can tell and from what the Swedish Embassy in Iceland emailed, there are no exit restrictions now and we should be good for the flight to Stockholm. I looked into Copenhagen vs Iceland but the restrictions on Americans entering Denmark looks much much tighter than the restrictions of vaccinated travelers entering Iceland.

GUWonder

Are you already in Iceland?

To which Danish restrictions on vaccinated Americans coming into CPH from the US are you referring? For vaccinated Americans coming from the US, CPH is allowed without issue since Saturday at 16:00.

Going from Denmark, definitely today, if CPH is the terminal point on the ticketed itinerary for a vaccinated American with Denmark-accepted proof of vaccination and going by surface transport into Skane.

We still have no confirmation if going directly from the US to Sweden via KEF is explicitly allowed now to the average vaccinated US visitor.

Iceland requires API for at least customs enforcement, and Swedish border control personnel definitely sometimes uses the API for passengers coming from the US to ARN via Iceland to engage in enforcement activity that isn’t limited to just customs enforcement and gets the PNR data when it wants. Whether Sweden uses API for Icelandair or SAS cross-border, intra-NPU flights now to still keep out people coming directly from the US to Swedish airports via KEF or CPH is a potential risk until it’s made certain that Sweden’s May announced extension (to August 30th) of the ban on travel from the US too is no longer applicable to vaccinated US visitors.

renhelm

I have a flight from USA to Stockholm via Paris. I am a EU citizen (Austria), having been vaccinated I still have to provide a COVID Test result. It’s frustrating to search through different countries requirements. If every country is doing their own thing what’s the point of paying Billions to EU politicians and their administrators.

YYZ1313

Is it the same for people flying to Finland or Norway from Iceland?

the810

The way I understand it, OP plans to spend some time in Iceland. Still, my understanding is that even flying on one ticket should be OK from the standpoint of Swedish authorities (but double check). What does the airline staff in the US make out of it may be another matter though.

There is one interesting loophole. Denmark allows transit (although with a test) and Sweden has no restrictions on anyone allowing from Denmark. Thus one can fly to Copenhagen, claim the transit exception, then take a train and enter Sweden on the basis of arriving from Denmark. Sweden explicitly permits this. The same applies to people who are vaccinated and can use Denmark as a way to avoid the test requirement in Sweden, if vaccination exempts them from a test requirement in Denmark. This makes Swedish rules towards other countries rather unreasonable.

No.

Dcislander

Well heck GUWonder and the810---I just read the NEW Danish rules for entry. Vaccinated Americans and children under 15 looks exempt from all restrictions. That is huge. CPH is such an easy train ride away from Huskvarna (our destination). Are trains running regularly over the border from Denmark to Sweden? Perhaps a question for another thread,

OP note---This has all been extremely helpful and very much appreciated. Flyer Talk and you all are the best.