Important victory for shipping in Uddevalla!

We are thrilled to announce that Uddevalla Municipality has been reinstated as an approved border crossing point. This means that the right to conduct crew changes at Port of Uddevalla has been restored, following more than 18 months of effort.

On 19 August 2024, the Swedish Coast Guard chose to strictly interpret the Schengen Code, Article 5.1 on approved border crossing points, and tightened the rules for crew changes in Swedish ports. Under the new regulations, vessels that have crossed external borders are only allowed to change crews at specifically approved border crossing points and during set opening hours. For Uddevalla, and several other ports without approved border crossings, this made crew changes both complicated and, in practice, impossible to carry out.

On 19 February this year, the Swedish government decided to add seven municipalities to the list of approved border crossing points under the Aliens Ordinance, with Uddevalla among them. The decision takes effect on 15 April and is a long-awaited announcement for us, the shipping companies, and their crews.

The decision on the new border crossing points is crucial for creating fair and competitive conditions for Swedish ports. It is also about something more fundamental: seafarers’ right to disembark and embark, to return home to their families within a reasonable time, and for new crews to board their vessels safely and with dignity. This essential right has now finally been restored.

We would like to thank everyone who has stood up for this issue and helped drive this change forward.