Broadly safe for most visitors, with only routine travel precautions needed. Public health and infrastructure are well developed.
Regional breakdown
Most travel to Sweden runs through Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. These three cities handle the bulk of UK arrivals and cover the main tourist routes. Stockholm's old town, museums and archipelago draw the largest crowds. Gothenburg sits on the west coast and serves as the gateway to the Bohuslän islands. Malmö, across the Öresund bridge from Copenhagen, is the main entry point from Denmark. Swedish police have flagged specific neighbourhoods in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö where gang-related violence has risen over recent years. Shootings and explosions tied to organised crime groups have hit residential areas including Rinkeby and Tensta in Stockholm, Biskopsgården in Gothenburg, and Rosengård in Malmö. These incidents rarely involve tourists, but travellers staying in budget accommodation outside the centre should check the area first. The far north, including Kiruna, Abisko and the Lofoten-adjacent Lapland region, is a different picture. Risks there are weather-driven rather than crime-driven. Winter temperatures drop below minus 30C, roads ice over, and mobile coverage thins out on hiking and husky routes. The Gotland and Öland islands in the Baltic are quiet and see few security issues.
Recent advisory changes
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated its Sweden guidance on 18 February 2026. The most recent change covered the European Entry-Exit System (EES) rather than any new security concern. The official advisory guidance does not warn against travel to any part of Sweden. It points readers to its safety and security page for detail on terrorism, crime and local laws. The official advisory guidance holds Sweden at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, reissued on 24 July 2024. The driver is terrorism. The official advisory guidance notes that groups continue to plot attacks and that targets may include transport hubs, shopping centres, hotels. Restaurants, places of worship, sporting events and tourist sites. Swedish authorities raised the national terror threat level to four out of five in August 2023 after Quran-burning protests, and it has remained elevated since. Both the official advisories advise travellers to stay alert in crowded public places and follow instructions from local police.
What travellers should know
Sweden is part of the Schengen area. So UK passports need at least three months' validity beyond the planned departure date and must be under ten years old. From October 2025 the EU Entry-Exit System started taking fingerprints and facial scans at the border, which has added delays at some crossings. The ETIAS visa waiver is expected to follow later in 2026. Carry a printed booking confirmation and return ticket in case border staff ask. Emergency services use 112 across the country. Healthcare is high quality but expensive for non-residents, so comprehensive travel insurance is worth arranging before departure. The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) covers state-provided treatment. Card payment is accepted almost everywhere, and many shops and buses no longer take cash. Winter driving needs studded or friction-rated tyres between December and March by law. For Arctic trips, book guided tours for activities such as ice fishing, snowmobiling and aurora hunting, and tell someone your route before setting out.