Many felons can recall having the desire to travel back when life was different and simpler, before their felony conviction.
They may have dreamed of traveling abroad before their conviction, and for some this may have been a reality.
This blog post will address the question of whether a felon can travel to Sweden.
- Travel Restrictions
- Why Sweden?
- Traveling to Sweden
- Requirements to Enter Sweden
- Encouraging a Felon to Travel to Sweden
Contents
Travel Restrictions
Upon release, felons must complete the terms of their sentence, including probation.
During the probation period, felons are restricted from leaving the district in which they reside without permission from their probation officer.
Of course, travel outside the U.S. is out of the question until the conditions of probation have been satisfied entirely.
Once this is accomplished, travel beyond the U.S. border is possible.
They must obtain a passport, allowing international travel. Felons are able to obtain a passport.
Being convicted of drug trafficking or a crime of treason against the U.S. may prevent felons from being able to obtain a passport, as well as for anyone owing at least a certain amount of child support.
Having current legal charges pending can also prevent having a passport. This is because leaving the country will be interpreted as an unlawful attempt to avoid prosecution, which is itself a federal crime.
Why Sweden?
Felons may have served time in prison, but they have the same interests as any other U.S. citizen.
Traveling to Sweden is no exception.
Sweden is a popular destination for tourists from the U.S. for a number of reasons.
Sweden is located in Northern Europe, part of the Scandinavian countries. It borders Finland and Norway.
It is a nation with many beautiful lakes, forests, and hills. The climate is cold with winter lasting five months of the year.
During the winter, the sun rises around 8 am and sets around 3 pm. In summer, sunset is at midnight with sunrise again at 3 am.
There is wonderful skiing, hiking, and snowboarding. The forests are outstanding, and the Northern Lights can be viewed from Sweden. Sweden is home to world-famous music, and the food is delicious.
Sweden may also be the country of origin of many felons’ families.
Traveling to Sweden
The only restriction for them flying would be if they have a felony warrant outstanding against them.
The other possible issue would be if their name is on what is called the no-fly list maintained by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for those suspected of being terrorists.
There are about 3500 names on this list at any time. So, felons are probably OK for flying.
Going on a cruise is also a popular means of travel to Sweden.
There are two types of cruises, closed loop and open loop. A closed loop cruise is one that starts and ends in the same U.S. port while an open loop cruise has different starting and final port city locations.
Felons may sail on either type of cruise, although the requirements for a closed loop cruise are less restrictive than for open loop cruises.
U.S. citizens going on a closed loop cruise can depart and enter the U.S. with only proof of citizenship. This proof consists of an original or copy of a birth certificate and a government issued photo ID.
Open loop cruises require a passport, regardless of the starting or destination port. Since they are traveling to a foreign country, a passport is recommended for either type of cruise for felons, since they are traveling to a foreign country.
Requirements to Enter Sweden
Sweden is a member of what is called the Schengen Agreement established in 1985.
The area of Europe that is part of the Schengen territory consists of 26 nations, which combine to operate with one external border as part of the agreement.
Those tourists who are U.S. citizens and who have been within the Schengen area for less than three months may enter without a visa.
All U.S. tourists, including felons, may travel freely from one Schengen area country to another without having to show their passport.
They do not have to present their passport to be stamped again until they leave the Schengen area.
All U.S. citizens may enter Sweden for a period of up to 90 days for personal or business reasons without a visa and travel into any of the 26 countries that participate in the Schengen Agreement.
The law in Sweden states that they must have at least six valid months remaining on their passport when entering the country.
Any stay by a U.S. citizen of more than 90 days will require a visa, which must be obtained prior to departing form the U.S.
If you’re in a hurry to get your visa or want someone to walk you through the process, I recommend you use this website to help.
Felons would do best if they plan their stay in the country to be limited to less than 90 days in order to not have to be subjected to having their criminal record checked.
For felons especially, their conduct while in Sweden is critical. Of course, they will want to stay out of legal difficulties.
This would obviously result in significant problems for felons who may find it extremely difficult to gain their release. For those felons ending up in jail, good legal counsel will be necessary.
It is best to strictly obey all laws and be able to leave the country as planned.
Encouraging a Felon to Travel to Sweden
Families of felons who visit Sweden can be helpful to those felons by encouraging them to travel outside the country for a sense of peace and relaxation.
Traveling is a great way for felons to re-connect with their families again.
Once the decision has been made to travel to Sweden, be supportive of their making the trip.
It is important to remind them that as a traveler to a foreign country, just being there as an American will bring them under scrutiny. Add to that their felon status, and staying out of trouble becomes even more important.
For this reason and others, they must obey the laws and not draw the attention of the legal authorities to themselves.
Remind them of their commitment to live an honest life and how legal difficulties while in Sweden will only defeat these efforts and may result in returning to prison.
Approximately 69% of those released from prison return within the first two years. Don’t let them be one of those statistics.
So what do you think about this blog post about how a felon can travel to Sweden? Have you or someone you know traveled to Sweden with a felony? What was that like and were they successful? Please tell us in the comments below.
Well I would love to move to Sweden. I do have a criminal record & would love a change, meaning a change to no one knowing me to judge me so I can start completely fresh.
I will miss my mother and what is left of my family but I need this and after reading this post, i have a new found hope that I can achieve this.
My fiance lives in Sweden and I want to move there to be with her because I would not want her to leave her family to come to the states is it possible for a convicted felon to live in Sweden
I am an an American with unknown family ln Sweden.i have fought for America and have had trouble after my release I am a disabled veteran and need release