List of ambassadors of Sweden to New Zealand
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Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal)
| Ambassador of Sweden to New Zealand | |
|---|---|
 | |
Incumbent since 2025Klas Molin | |
| Ministry for Foreign Affairs Swedish Embassy, Canberra | |
| Style | His or Her Excellency (formal) Mr. or Madam Ambassador (informal) |
| Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| Residence | 33 Salamanca Road, Kelburn[a] |
| Seat | Canberra, Australia[b] |
| Appointer | Government of Sweden |
| Term length | No fixed term |
| Formation | 19 October 1951 |
| First holder | Martin Kastengren |
The Ambassador of Sweden to New Zealand (known formally as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to New Zealand) is the official representative of the government of Sweden to the governor-general of New Zealand and government of New Zealand. Since Sweden does not have an embassy in Wellington, Sweden's ambassador in Canberra is co-accredited in Wellington.
In July 1949, the King in Council decided to establish diplomatic relations with New Zealand. At the same time, the existing consulate in Wellington was upgraded to a legation, and Rolf Arfwedson was appointed as the resident chargé d'affaires en pied.[2]
In January 1951, it was reported that the Swedish diplomatic post in Wellington, New Zealand, was to be abolished. The Swedish representation in New Zealand would then be handled by the embassy in Canberra, Australia.[3] However, right-wing and liberal party representatives in the Committee of Supply opposed this decision, advocating for the post in Wellington to be maintained for at least another year.[4] Despite this opposition, the committee ultimately supported the plan to eliminate the post.[5] Two years later, the post was reestablished, and in 1957, Sweden's first resident envoy in Wellington was appointed.
On 21 February 1962, the Swedish government decided to elevate its legation in Wellington to an embassy. The diplomatic rank was thereafter changed to ambassador instead of envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary.[6]
In February 1995, the Swedish government decided to close the embassy in Wellington,[7] and it was officially closed on 1 July 1995.[8] Since then, the Swedish ambassador in Canberra has been accredited to Wellington.
List of representatives
| Name | Period | Resident/Non resident | Title | Notes | Presented credentials | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rolf Arfwedson | 1949–1951 |  Resident | Chargé d'affaires en pied | [2][9] | ||
| Martin Kastengren | 19 October 1951 – 30 June 1957 |  Non-resident | Envoy | Resident in Canberra. | [10][11][12] | |
| Bo Järnstedt | 1953–1957 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires ad interim | [13] | ||
| Hans-Efraim Sköld | 1954–1954 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires ad interim | [14] | ||
| Olof Ripa | 1955–1955 | Resident | Chargé d'affaires ad interim | [15] | ||
| Hugo Ärnfast | 1957–1960 | Resident | Envoy | [16] | ||
| Olof Ripa | 1960–1962 | Resident | Envoy | [17] | ||
| Olof Kaijser | 1963–1967 | Resident | Ambassador | [18] | ||
| Karl Henrik Andersson | 1967–1969 | Resident | Ambassador | [19] | ||
| Carl-Gustaf Béve | 1969–1971 | Resident | Ambassador | [20] | ||
| Olof Bjurström | 1971–1974 | Resident | Ambassador | [21] | ||
| Sten Aminoff | 1974–1979 | Resident | Ambassador | [22] | ||
| Gunnar Gerring | 1979–1982 | Resident | Ambassador | Accredited to Apia, Nukuʻalofa, and Suva. | [23] | |
| Christer Sylvén | 1982–1987 | Resident | Ambassador | Accredited to Apia (from 1983), Nukuʻalofa (from 1983), and Suva. | [24] | |
| Kjell Anneling | 1987–1990 | Resident | Ambassador | Accredited to Apia, Nukuʻalofa, and Suva. | [25] | |
| Hans Andén | 1991–1993 | Resident | Ambassador | Accredited to Apia, Avarua (from 1992), Nukuʻalofa, and Suva. | [26] | |
| Karin Ahrland | 1993–1995 | Resident | Ambassador | Accredited to Apia, Avarua, Nukuʻalofa, and Suva. | [27] | |
| Göran Hasselmark | 1995–2000 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Canberra. | [28][29][30] | |
| Lars-Erik Wingren | 2000–2003 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Canberra. | [31] | |
| Karin Ehnbom-Palmquist | 2003–2008 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Canberra. | [32] | |
| Sven-Olof Petersson | 2008–2014 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Canberra. | [33] | |
| Pär Ahlberger | 2014–2019 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Canberra. | ||
| Henrik Cederin | January 2020 – 2022 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Canberra. | [34] | |
| Pontus Melander | 16 November 2022 – 2025 | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Canberra. | 16 November 2022 | [35][36] |
| Klas Molin | 2025–present | Non-resident | Ambassador | Resident in Canberra. | 10 September 2025 | [37] |
Gallery
Ambassador Henrik Cederin (2020–2022) and Governor-General Patsy Reddy.
