EU Council Recommends Entry Requirements Changes Effective March 1, 2022

EU Council on Tuesday released an updated set of recommendations on what should be required to enter the block and proposes that member states EU/EEA adopt them from March 1, 2022.

EU member states should allow non-essential travel to the bloc from those vaccinated with an EU or WHO-approved vaccine (not more than 270 days old) or who have received a booster. Also, the Council recommends that travel is allowed for those who have recovered within the past 180 days.

You can access the EU’s page for reopening the bloc here.

Countries may still have pre-departure Covid test requirements.

EU Council’s Update:

Council updates recommendation on travel from third countries

On 22 February 2022, the Council adopted an updated recommendation on the temporary restriction of non-essential travel into the EU. The amendments introduced respond to:

• the evolution of the pandemic
• the increasing vaccination uptake and administration of booster doses
• the recognition of a growing number of certificates issued by third countries as equivalent to the EU digital COVID certificate

Under this recommendation, COVID-19 restrictions should be applied taking into account both the situation in the third country and the individual status of the person. Member states should allow non-essential travel for persons vaccinated with an EU-approved or WHO-approved vaccine, recovered persons and all persons travelling from a country on the EU list.

The new recommendation will apply as from 1 March 2022.

EU Digital Covid Certificate System Is Connected To 62 Countries:

• EU Member States (27) +
• Albania
• Andorra
• Armenia
• Benin
• Cabo Verde
• El Salvador
• Faroe Islands
• Georgia
• Israel
• Iceland
• Jordan
• Lebanon
• Liechtenstein
• Moldova
• Monaco
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• New Zealand
• North Macedonia
• Norway
• Panama
• San Marino
• Serbia
• Singapore
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Tunisia
• Togo
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• United Arab Emirates
• The United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies
• Uruguay
• The Vatican

Infographic From EU:

Part of EU Council’s Press Release:

COVID-19: Council updates recommendation on non-essential travel from third countries

The Council adopted an updated recommendation today on the temporary restriction of non-essential travel into the EU. The amendments introduced respond to the evolution of the pandemic, the increasing vaccination uptake and administration of booster doses, and the recognition of a growing number of certificates issued by third countries as equivalent to the EU digital COVID certificate. The new recommendation will start to apply on 1 March 2022.

Under this recommendation, COVID-19 restrictions should be applied taking into account both the situation in the third country and the individual status of the person. Member states should allow non-essential travel for persons vaccinated with an EU- or WHO-approved vaccine, recovered persons and all persons travelling from a country on the EU list. For some of these travellers, additional measures such as PCR testing before travel could apply.

Vaccinated and recovered persons

Member states should lift the temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU for persons vaccinated with an EU- or WHO-approved vaccine, provided they have received the last dose of the primary vaccination series at least 14 days and no more than 270 days before arrival or they have received a booster dose.

Member states should also lift the temporary restriction on non-essential travel for persons who have recovered from COVID-19 within 180 days prior to travelling to the EU.

For persons vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine, member states could also require a negative PCR test taken at the earliest 72 hours before departure and could apply additional measures such as quarantine or isolation. A negative PCR test before departure could also be required for persons who have recovered from COVID-19, as well as for persons who have been vaccinated with an EU-approved vaccine but do not hold an EU or equivalent certificate.

Children

Children over 6 and under 18 who fulfil the conditions set out for adults should be allowed to travel.

In addition, all other children over 6 and under 18 should be allowed to travel with a negative PCR test taken at the earliest 72 hours before departure. Member states could require additional testing after arrival, as well as quarantine or isolation.

No test or additional requirements should be applied to children under the age of 6.

Full Release:

Download (PDF, 263KB)

Conclusion

Many European countries have lower than 270 days validity for being considered fully vaccinated if not boosted and less than 180 days for those who have recovered. I wish that all the countries would adopt these guidelines suggested by the Council.

It is remarkable that 35 countries, not part of the EU, have adopted or connected to the EU’s Digital Covid certificate system for validation, facilitating more seamless travel.