https://www.facebook.com/Britishembassystockholm/videos/355498348716336/
Brexit Update August 2019 from Peter Ruskin, Acting Ambassador at the British Embassy in Stockholm
“The new British government, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is committed to the UK leaving the EU on 31st October, with or without a deal.
We would prefer to leave with a deal and we will work hard to get a better deal. If it’s not possible to reach a deal we will have to leave with no deal – and are making all necessary preparations to do so.
Here in Sweden, we have been and remain in close contact with the Swedish authorities, including the Migration Agency, Migrationsverket. Our priority, shared by the British and Swedish authorities, is to minimise the impact on British citizens in Sweden, just as for Swedish citizens in the UK.
For British citizens here, what does this mean in practical terms?
There are two scenarios:
The first scenario is that we leave with a deal. This is the government’s preferred outcome. In that scenario, your rights as British citizens in Sweden would stay the same as they are today for the duration of an implementation period. During this period – planned to last until 31 December next year, 2020, you would be able to live, work, access healthcare, and study in Sweden, and travel throughout the European Union, just as you do now. During the implementation period, there will be negotiations on the future relationship between the UK and the EU – to decide what happens after the implementation period ends.
The second scenario is that we leave without a deal. This is not the government’s preferred outcome, but it is one we are preparing for. In that scenario, the Swedish government has provided a one year grace period to British citizens. This would start on the day we leave the EU – 31 October. During this year, your rights as British citizens in Sweden will stay the same. You would not need a residency permit or work permit. You would be able to live, work, access healthcare and study in Sweden the same as you do today. This applies within Sweden only. You would no longer be EU citizen’s, and other rights, such as freedom of movement within the EU, will change. The key thing is that during this one year grace period, you should apply for Swedish residency. This would enable you to keep your rights after the grace period has ended. In this scenario, it would be your responsibility to apply for residency, if you want to continue to live in Sweden with the rights that you have today.
Of course in such a no deal scenario, you or your family may want to travel outside Sweden and return to Sweden. To ensure you can easily return to Sweden, the authorities here would offer to put a stamp in your British passport. The purpose of the stamp is to show that you’re a resident here. Migrationsverket will offer this, and will not charge for it.
They will open this process only if and when it’s clear that we are leaving the EU without a deal. So you can’t apply for it yet. As and when more information becomes available, it will be on the Migrationsverket website, and we’ll provide a link to that on this page.
We recognise that this is an uncertain time. As you may know, we held a series of town hall meetings around Sweden earlier this year and last year. We will hold further meetings later in the year. We’ll continue to provide updates through this Facebook page Living In Sweden at gov.uk.
Keeping you informed is a key priority for us, as it is for the Swedish government too.”
Useful links:
www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-sweden
www.migrationsverket.se/E…/About-the-Migration-Agency/Brexit
> British Embassy in Stockholm
For more information about events concerning Brexit, join us on September 4 for:
‘The Latest on Brexit with Peter Ruskin’
