It will now be possible to travel with a certificate of recovery, and no rules will apply to children under 6 at all
The European Union has adopted new rules for tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic and there is good news: tourism will become as accessible as possible. Now tourists from third countries will be able to visit the EU even with a certificate of recovery.
It is noted that for travel from third countries for minor reasons, which include tourism, an assessment of the epidemic situation in the country from which the guest arrives, as well as «individual status» visitor.
At the same time, EU member states are advised to allow travel for:
- people vaccinated with a vaccine that is approved by WHO or in the EU;
- those who have been ill and recovered;
- anyone who enters from one of the EU countries.
At the same time, travelers from some countries may need additional PCR testing for 72 hours.
But it is important that the status will need to be confirmed by certificates (vaccination or recovery) of the European standard.
«The Council of the EU on February 22 adopted updated recommendations on temporary restrictions on non-essential travel in the EU. These applications are presented in response to the evolution of the pandemic, the increase in vaccination coverage and booster doses of the vaccine, as well as in connection with the increase in the number of countries issuing certificates that are equivalent to EU digital COVID-certificates», the statement said.
< p>For people who have recovered from the coronavirus, «irrelevant» travel will be allowed for 180 days after recovery.
Children and teens from 6 to 18 years of age will be able to travel under the rules for adults — with vaccination, or a certificate of recovery.
If they are unvaccinated, they will be able to enter EU countries with a PCR test done 72 hours before arrival. And they can be sent to self-isolation.
No tests or additional requirements should be applied to children under 6 years old.
Can I travel with the CoronaVac vaccine
According to the new rules that may begin to apply for tourists from third countries entering must be vaccinated with vaccines recognized in the EU:
Comiraty (Pfizer-BioNTech);
Moderna;
AstraZeneca;
Novavax;
Janssen (Johnson & Johnson’s).
Also added is that WHO-approved vaccines will be recognized, allowing tourists vaccinated with the CoronaVac (Sinovac) vaccine to visit countries with their certificates EU.
By the way, all vaccinations will be valid for 14-270 days after full vaccination, with the exception of the booster dose.
And the Ministry of Health of Ukraine notes that the decision whether to let citizens of a particular country in the EU will also depend on the level of incidence and testing in each particular country. To lift restrictions on travelers from a particular country, the number of cases of COVID-19 in that country over the past two weeks must be less than 100 per 100,000 inhabitants, and the weekly testing rate must be at least 600 per 100,000 inhabitants.
They also remind you that the recommendations of the EU Council are not binding. Decisions on specific entry rules will be made by each EU country independently.