EU likely to reopen to fully vaccinated foreign tourists from June

According to the latest plans of the European Commission, the EU has decided to reopen to holidaymakers from countries with low COVID infection rates, such as the U.K., and to anyone who has been completely vaccinated, starting from the beginning of June. Officials confirmed that the EU borders would be reopened by June 2021 at the latest with agreement due to be sought from member states this month.

As the rate of vaccination has been constantly rising in the EU member states, commission officials said it was time to relax rules on non-essential travel while legislating to provide powers to pull an emergency brake if necessary. Under the new rule, the requirement to undergo COVID testing before or after arrival or to quarantine could still be enforced by individual states. However, officials have said that if situation continues to improving and the vaccination rate picks up immensely pace, a gradual phasing out of the additional conditions could also be considered.

Ursula von der Leyen, President, the European Commission took to social media and shared that the time to safely revive tourism industry and rekindle cross-border friendships has arrived. She mentioned that the EU is decided to welcome back vaccinated visitors and those from countries with a good health situation. However, she also mentioned that if variants emerge EU will have to act fast and implement a emergency brake mechanism.

Tight restrictions on those wishing to travel into the EU have been in force since last year. Under the commission’s proposals, member states would allow travel into the EU of those people who had received the final dose of an authorised vaccine at least 14 days before arrival. The vaccines made in Russia and China, Sputnik and Sinopharm, are yet to be approved by the European medicines agency. Those administered with these jabs would not be able to rely on the vaccines for entry.

The commission also informed that unless quarantine and testing rules were waived, children who are excluded from vaccination will be able to travel with their vaccinated parents only if they have a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken at the earliest 72 hours before arrival. However, those who have not been fully vaccinated will also be allowed into the EU if they are coming from a country with a good epidemiological situation. As of now, only Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand are on a green list allowing for non-essential travel into the EU.