A more liberal post-COVID visa policy for Indians soon, says its Ambassador
Sweden does not require vaccination from international travellers including those from India, its Ambassador in India Klas Molin told The Hindu in an exclusive chat on Wednesday.
The envoy said Sweden will soon launch a trade promotion event — Time for India — to boost bilateral trade and hinted that the Swedish Government may take a more liberal post-COVID visa policy for India soon.
“There is no requirement for vaccination for entry nor is there a quarantine regime in place. But travellers need to take a COVID-19 test on arrival,” said Mr. Molin reiterating his country’s general visa and entry policy. The envoy attended the Business Climate Survey (SCS) conducted by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in India and the Swedish missions detected a positive business climate persists in India despite the setback of the second wave of COVID-19.
Mr. Molin said Stockholm is allowing ‘essential’ travels from India which also includes certain types of travel by business owners.
”Sweden has had an entry ban in effect during the pandemic. It is being reviewed and I’m hopeful travellers from India will soon be exempt. At the same time, we have issued visas throughout the pandemic for essential travel, for students and for business purposes.” The envoy said there is no “blanket ban” for tourist visas but Sweden is yet to firm up the policy. India has not yet opened tourist visas which, the envoy said, has led to “fewer travellers” from Sweden to India.
The “global entry” policy of Sweden is part of its post-COVID19 recovery plan which is being examined continuously depending on the scale of the pandemic. The Business Climate Survey (BCS) reveals that Swedish companies reported growth and profit in the third quarter of 2020 despite the pandemic scenario in India.
Mr. Molin will lead a Swedish diplomatic and economic delegation in the second week of November to Sweden and team up with the Indian embassy in Stockholm and launch a promotional campaign for Indian business. The team will hold meetings and seminars in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo that are expected to be attended by a large number of companies and Swedish investors. Ambassador to Sweden Tanmaya Lal is scheduled to join the events that are part of a Swedish initiative to popularise Indian business opportunities for their business class.
“We will use these seminars to inform interested companies and people in trading and investing in India,” said Mr. Molin announcing the promotional campaign that will consist of breakfast seminars.
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