What you need to enter Sweden with a South Korean passport

Authorization system

None operational yet (ETIAS delayed)

Sweden is part of the future European ETIAS system (a travel authorization for nationalities exempt from a Schengen visa). As of the verification date, ETIAS is NOT operational. Once launched: cost €20, validity 3 years, applicable to passport holders from countries exempt from a Schengen visa.

What ETIAS is, who it will affect and when it starts →

Fee

Doesn't apply until ETIAS is operational. For consular Schengen visas, the fee depends on the visa type and hasn't been verified specifically for Sweden.

Required documents

• A valid passport or travel document, issued within the previous ten years and valid for at least three months beyond the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Art. 6(1)(a))
• A valid visa, if your nationality requires one. It is not needed if you hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa issued by a Schengen State (Art. 6(1)(b))
• Documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay: an accommodation booking or a declaration of invitation from your host, and a return or onward ticket (Art. 6(1)(c) and Art. 6(3), which points to the non-exhaustive list in Annex I)
• Proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole stay and for the return to your country of origin, or of being in a position to acquire such means lawfully. They are assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay, by reference to average prices for board and lodging in budget accommodation (Art. 6(1)(c) and 6(4)). Cash, traveller's cheques, credit cards and declarations of invitation or of sponsorship all count as proof (Art. 6(4))

Vaccinations

• No mandatory vaccines for entry: no international certificate of vaccination (yellow fever included) is required under the International Health Regulations.

Health insurance

Not mandatory for this visa-exempt entry, though it's strongly recommended. The border officer may still ask for proof of sufficient funds and accommodation for your stay — a separate requirement from insurance.

Transit rules

Schengen rule: a maximum stay of 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area.

Why isn't your passport being stamped? The EES system →

Customs limits

Cash

Declare to Tullverket (Swedish Customs), online or via a form, if entering or leaving the EU with €10,000 or more in cash (or the equivalent in another currency), an EU-harmonized regime.

Alcohol

Only for those aged 20 or over (Sweden's own minimum age, higher than the usual 17 elsewhere in the EU), arriving from outside the EU after at least 20 hours abroad or on a commercial flight: 1 liter of spirits over 22%, or 2 liters of fortified/sparkling wine up to 22%; plus 4 liters of still wine and 16 liters of beer. Allowances cannot be pooled among family members.

Tobacco

200 cigarettes, or 100 cigarillos, or 50 cigars, or 250 grams of smoking tobacco (or a proportional mix), strictly per person and not poolable among family members.

Overstay penalties

Chapter 20, Section 1 of the Aliens Act (Utlänningslagen, 2005:716) punishes with a fine anyone who resides in Sweden intentionally or through negligence without the required permit and without having applied for one; in minor cases, prosecution does not proceed unless there are public-interest grounds. The fine is imposed under Sweden's "dagsböter" (day-fine) system, where the total amount depends on the offender's income rather than a fixed statutory sum; one real case documented in the press was 50 day-fines at SEK 80 each (SEK 4,000 total). If the foreigner remains despite an already-enforceable expulsion order, Section 2 of the same chapter provides for up to 1 year of imprisonment (or a fine, in minor cases).

What happens if you stay past 90 days →

Common reasons for denial

• Producing a false or falsified travel document, or reasonable doubts arising about the authenticity of the supporting documents submitted or the truthfulness of their content (Regulation (EC) 810/2009, Art. 32(1)(a)(i) and 32(1)(b)).
• Failing to justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay (Art. 32(1)(a)(ii); the same entry condition appears in Art. 6(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399, so it is also checked at the border).
• Failing to provide proof of sufficient means of subsistence for the whole intended stay and for the return to the country of origin or residence, and not being in a position to acquire such means lawfully (Art. 32(1)(a)(iii)).
• Having already used up the 90 days of stay within the current 180-day period on the territory of the Member States (Art. 32(1)(a)(iv)).
• Being the subject of an alert in the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the purpose of refusing entry (Art. 32(1)(a)(v)).
• Being considered a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any Member State (Art. 32(1)(a)(vi)).
• Failing to provide proof of adequate and valid travel medical insurance, where applicable (Art. 32(1)(a)(vii)).
• Reasonable doubts arising about the reliability of the statements made or about the applicant’s intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the visa applied for expires (Art. 32(1)(b)).