EU Removes U.S. from Safe Travel List & Recommends Restrictions

America is off the EU’s safe travel list for the first time since June.

The European Union is recommending reinstating travel restrictions on nonessential US travelers. Due to the recent rise in COVID-19 numbers across the nation, countries in the EU voted to impose restrictions on the US. The original restrictions were recently lifted in June 2021.

This decision is only a recommendation right now, and similarly to the US, It’s up to each member country of the EU to make the final judgment on which restrictions to impose. The individual 27 nations within the EU can also choose to accept proof of vaccination to waive travel restrictions.

The European Council updates its safe travel list every couple of weeks based on COVID-19 infection levels. According to AP News, the EU has also removed Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, and North Macedonia from the safe travel list. To stay on the EU’s safe travel list, nations must have less than 75 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people within the span of 14 days. The US, unfortunately, averaged over 156,000 cases just last week, according to the Washington Post. Meanwhile, the US's borders remain closed to non-essential EU travelers.

For now, US travelers should plan to stay up to date with each nation's restrictions, as there could be changes across the continent.

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Janae Price is a News Staff Writer at Thrillist. She's a native New Yorker and loves all things cheese, K-pop, and culture. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @janae_larie.