European Union (EU) countries have agreed to update guidelines for travel by reportedly adding the United States to their ‘safe’ travel list. This decision indicates that American tourists could be permitted to visit without restrictions this summer.
The US, along with five other countries, is expected to be included in the updated list of regions from which the EU allows non-essential travel, according to Reuters. Alongside the United States, Albania, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Taiwan are anticipated for approval, in addition to Australia, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. Notably, the Chinese administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau will also be included.
The EU governments gathered on Wednesday to recommend lifting the ban on nonessential travel from these regions. However, the New York Times reports that this decision is expected to be formally adopted on Friday, with the changes taking effect shortly after.
Countries can be added to the so-called ‘white list’ if they have recorded fewer than 75 COVID cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the past 14 days.
Residents of these countries and regions can enter the EU without restrictions, regardless of their vaccination status. However, it is essential to note that individual countries may choose to implement PCR testing or quarantine measures for arrivals.
Several EU member states, including France, Spain, Greece, and Portugal, have already lifted restrictions for American tourists. Nonetheless, both Portugal and France require US visitors—regardless of vaccination status—to present a negative COVID-19 test result.
Since March 2020, the EU closed its borders to all non-European travelers to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. While member states coordinated their border restrictions, Ireland maintained a common travel agreement with the UK and operates outside the Schengen Area.
As the EU prepares to welcome more visitors, it is also set to launch its digital COVID-19 certificate on July 1. This certificate will facilitate travel between countries within the bloc this summer and is available to EU residents, serving to demonstrate that the holder has been vaccinated, has tested negative for the virus, or has recovered from it.
