Formalities for entering Sweden

The Kingdom of Sweden is part of the European Union and the Schengen Treaty. However, you may be required to present a valid ID or passport when entering the country or at other instances within the country.
A valid Visa is necessary when coming from certain countries outside Europe and you are advised to check well in advance with a Swedish embassy or consulate in your home country. To receive an invitation letter for the purpose of a Visa application tick the box in the application form or mail to yeast2003@gmm.gu.se.

Language

English is the official language at the conference.
Swedish is the language spoken in Sweden. However, essentially everybody you will deal with in Göteborg (and most over Sweden) will understand and commonly speak English.

Insurance

The conference cannot be made liable for any personal injuries, damage or loss of property that may occur during the conference to any of the delegates. You are advised to check well in advance that all relevant personal and corporate insurances are valid when attending the meeting.

Currency

Sweden has NOT adopted the Euro. The currency in Sweden is the Swedish Crown (SEK, in Swedish: krona, plural kronor; symbol: kr). As off May 2003 one Euro is about 9.0 SEK, one USD is about 7.7 SEK and one GBP is about 13.0 SEK.
Shops and restaurants in Göteborg do, however, accept Euro, although not at the most favourable rate. Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) are generally accepted in shops, hotels, restaurants and official taxis. Money can be changed most conveniently in Forex offices (see www.forex.se for rates) at the airport and in town.

Electricity

There is 220V electricity.

Time and daylight

During the conference Central European Summer Time is valid (GMT +1h).
At the time of the conference you can expect the sun to be up from about 0415 to 2215 plus about 2h of twilight before sunrise and after sunset, depending on weather conditions.

Weather

In July, the weather tends to be fine to variable and you should be prepared for anything from sunny conditions with deep-blue skies to rainy days. Accordingly, maximum temperatures can vary between 15-32°C. Water temperatures in the sea may be around 16-20°C and in the inland lakes between 17-22°C. Commonly, the most stable summer weather is experienced between mid-July and end-August. Since Göteborg is at the seaside, there is commonly some light wind. Check http://weather.yahoo.com/ for Gothenburg, Sweden.

Dress

No formal dress is required during the conference. The venue is air-conditioned; hence do not dress too lightly.

Safety

Generally, Göteborg is a safe city although it is advisable, as anywhere else, not to frequent centrally located parks, empty spots, and large shopping centres after midnight.
During the summer, pickpocket bands have become an increasing plague in Göteborg, especially in crowded places and during the touristic high season, which occurs at the time of the conference. Be prepared.  

Health 

There are no particular health measures to be taken into account. People suffering from allergies may consider that most plants flower one month later in Göteborg than e.g. in Central Europe. Sweden is SARS free. Ticks are very common in parks and nature and may transfer Borrelia (brain inflammation only in more eastern parts of the country).

Local transport

Public transport is not required to reach the venue from any of the conference hotels. But when you wish to move around, there is a very well developed network of trams and busses in Göteborg. If you buy the Göteborg Card (at “pressbyrån”, “tidpunkten”; offers reduced entry to many attractions), public transport is included. A single trip (90 min) within the city costs SEK 20; when buying a 100 SEK ticket at “pressbyrån” or “tidpunkten” the price/trip is SEK 12. The tram/bus system also includes ferries to the islands in the archipelago of Göteborg (Göteborg’s skärgården). Such ferry tours are very popular and the islands offer many small remote scenic beaches.

Car rental