Development - projects - major changes

In its development plan for Arlanda, Swedavia describes how the airport will be developed until about 2040. A completed development plan will create the conditions for an operationally efficient airport with the right capacity and the passenger experience in focus. The plan will also enable aviation's transition to fossil-free transport.

Planning of the future Arlanda needs to take place long-term and in good time to provide the best possible conditions to be ready for future needs. The investments and measures described in the plan have not yet been financed, and decisions will be made gradually and on a commercial basis in line with developments.

As a first step in the implementation of the development plan, the expansion of Terminal 5 needs to be completed, and until 2040, investments in terminal development will therefore be focused primarily there.

Development plan Arlanda - version 2024

Swedavia.se - more about the future

The Project Passenger Boarding Bridges and stands is about a total renewal of the infrastructure on and around Apron BC in the area between terminals 4 and 5 on airside.

Background
The background to the project is that passenger bridges, large parts of the technical infrastructure and also the ground surface on the airside have been used for almost 50 years and have reached the end of their technical life. In addition, aircraft types have been added that require adaptations in order for us to be able to provide safe and efficient traffic management.

The goal is to secure the long-term capacity of stands and associated technical infrastructure such as passenger bridges, ground supply, hydrant systems for aviation fuel and stormwater management. The project also includes the construction of infrastructure for electric aviation.

The need exists for larger areas and terminal parts than those mentioned above, but this first stage of the work will be carried out from 2024 to the end of 2026. 

Focus ahead
In recent years, the focus at Arlanda has been on the development of passenger areas in the terminal - including the addition of a new security checkpoint and a new Marketplace. That development will continue later on, with the construction of Pier G, but in the time window until then, intensive work will be done on this operational upgrade of the airport.

The decision made in 2023 entailed the following
In the autumn of 2024, work began on apron BC between terminals 4 and 5, which meant that the aircraft parking areas around this apron are closed for two years.

The loss of gate-connected stands was handled by the construction of a smaller independent terminal with five gates on ramp D/E. The building, or gate area A as it is called, began construction in the spring of 2024 and was completed at the end of 2024. 

The building is of a temporary nature but both in appearance and function fully comparable to ordinary streets. Departing passengers travel by bus to the terminal, arriving passengers do not pass it at all but are bussed directly from the plane to the terminal according to regular routines for arriving remote management.

Capacity reductions are avoided as far as possible. The construction of the temporary terminal is about being able to handle the loss of gate-connected stands when the need arises, and in the forecast for gate use, this will not take place at the beginning of the project period, but somewhat later and during peak periods.  

Results
The completed project gives the airport a completely new working environment for everyone who works in the area. In addition to upgraded surfaces and equipment, the layout of the stands is being reviewed and changed. Today it is crowded around the aircraft during a turnaround. The stands are now being optimized for current aircraft types and the number of stands is in some cases reduced to improve the conditions for conducting operations around the aircraft.

The work also provides the airport with an optimal infrastructure for current and future vehicle fleets. 

Purpose

The purpose of the Entry Exit System is to make borders more secure – the system will make it easier to identify travellers who try to enter or leave the Schengen area under a false identity or with a forged passport, as well as people who have stayed in the Schengen area for longer than the permitted time. 

The new system was introduced on 12 October 2025 – all EU countries started at the same time. Some countries are gradually introducing the system in different stages during the first half of the year. Sweden fully implements the system right from the start.

Who is affected by the change? 

Only non-EU citizens are affected by the new system. For them, new procedures will be added when entering the EU/Schengen area. 

Who is a 'non-EU citizen'?

Entry Exit System is a "non-EU citizen" a traveller who is not a citizen of any country of the European Union or of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

Are there exceptions - 'non-EU citizens' that are not affected? 

Yes, there are a number of exceptions and questions about these are referred to the Police. The clearest exception applies to people who are citizens of a country outside the EU but have a residence permit and thus the right to reside in Sweden or another EU/Schengen country. There is clear information on the Police and EU websites to refer to in this matter. 

What does the change in passport control mean for "non-EU citizens"?

The first time they enter the EU/Schengen area after 12 October, in addition to showing their passport and any other permits, they must also take a facial photo and provide fingerprints. This biometric information, as it is called, is recorded by the Police in a personal file together with the time and place of entry or exit.

The handling can lead to longer process times in the control – it is about additional steps that the Police must implement.

Should this be done every time they enter the EU/Schengen area? 
No, next time the photo and fingerprints are already registered in the system. Then the passport control officer only needs to verify that the photo and fingerprints are correct, which takes less time. 

The registration is valid for three years. However, the police always have the right to obtain photos and fingerprints again whenever they wish. 

Should children also provide photos and fingerprints?
Children under the age of 12 only need to provide a photo, not fingerprints.
Children from the age of 12 must provide both photo and fingerprints. 

Who is NOT affected by the introduction of the Entry Exit System? 

• Travellers travelling within the EU/Schengen area are of course not affected. Only about 30 per cent of the total number of passengers at Swedavia's airports pass through a border control.
• Swedes and other EU citizens are not affected either, they travel "home". They still need to show passports, but they don't need to register photos and fingerprints.
• Aircraft crews in service are also not covered by the Entry Exit System.
• People with dual citizenship – Swedish or EU plus other things – are also not affected. We know that this group often guards themselves and chooses the All passports queue, and when the Entry Exit System starts, they should use their Swedish/EU passport. They do not need to take a photo or leave fingerprints, but must follow the signs EU passports all the way from the plane. 

Can the travelers themselves do something to speed up the process? 

In advance

• In order to speed up the passport control process, non-EU citizens can register some information in advance.
• In Sweden, registration is done in advance in an app provided by Frontex; the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency.
• The app, called Travel to Europe, will be available for download from 12 October. Here, the traveller can pre-register their photo, passport data and answer the questions in an "Entry Conditions Questionnaire". From 12 October, travellers can register information up to 72 hours before their departure.
• Airlines and tour operators are encouraged to include information about the app and the possibility of pre-registration in their dealings with Non-Schengen travellers.

At the airport
Here, it is important that passengers follow the correct flow and signage: 

• Non-EU citizens follow All passports/All other passports
• Swedes and EU citizens follow EU passports

What applies to departing travellers - should they be registered when they leave the EU/Schengen area from a Swedish airport? 

• During the first three months after 12 October, non-EU citizens who are already in Sweden will be registered at the time of departure.
• Many nationalities are allowed to stay 90 days visa-free in a 180-day period. If they are going to stay longer than that, they apply for a visa and then they are photographed and fingerprinted at an embassy. After 90 days, it is expected that all visa-exempt people will have left Sweden. 

Do departing travelers need to arrive at the airport earlier?

• No, and that can be an important message. We know from experience that "arriving early" can be the first thing travelers themselves turn to when they hear about new routines at the airport.
• In this case, there is no change in the guidelines for when they should be at the airport before departure. Passport control is after the check-in and security check-in stages, and arriving very early doesn't speed up the process.
• The recommendation is that you as a traveler should follow the airlines' recommendations on when you should be at the airport, these take into account all perspectives.

What will be important to us when the affected passengers land at our airports? 

• That passengers end up in the right flow: 
  • EU passports
  • All other passports
• The joint preparations between the airport and the Police are about achieving as smooth a process as possible at the airport for those affected by the Entry Exit System and minimizing the impact on Swedes and EU citizens who are not really affected.
• In order to speed up the handling of passport control, it is important that all travellers are prepared and prepared for the various steps – that they have passports ready, that they are aware that they and their children, if any, must be photographed, fingerprinted, etc. Here, the airport assists the Police with signage in the flow between plane and passport control and showing an instructional film at the passport cages. 

More about the Travel to Europe app - the possibility of pre-registration

• The first time non-EU citizens enter the EU/Schengen area after 12 October, the Police will create a personal file for each traveller, where passports, other permits, facial photographs, fingerprints and the time and place of entry or exit are registered.
• Travellers can start creating the personal file themselves by registering their passport data, travel details (to which airport they will fly on which date) and their face photograph, as well as answering a few questions about the trip.
• The personal file is then completed at passport control, it is only here that the go-ahead for entry is given.
• The countries that apply the Entry Exit System have the freedom to choose different digital self-service solutions for registration in advance; for example, Entry Exit kiosks at airports or apps for off-airport registration.
• The Swedish police/border control authority* has chosen the app solution that Frontex has offered to the countries.
• The Travel to Europe app is available from 12 October for the airports* Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Göteborg Landvetter Airport, Malmö Airport and Bromma Stockholm Airport. After that, travelers can use the app 72 hours before departure.
  *The use of the app is also controlled by the police region in which the airports are located.

Links

• Entry Exit System website on EU level
• Police website on Entry Exit System