Fully Vaccinated Americans Will Be Able To Travel To the European Union This Summer
The EU is planning to reverse a travel ban that’s been in place since last June.
Fully vaccinated travelers, including Americans, will soon be able to travel to European Union member countries. Americans have been banned from traveling to the 27 countries that make up the EU since June 2020.
A formal vote will take place next week though it’s expected to pass, the Washington Post reports, and with it the publication of more details and a timeline.
What we know so far is that only those with EU-authorized vaccines will be allowed in. For Americans, these currently include Pfizer, Moderna, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Presenting proof of these vaccinations—the second dose of which would have to have been received at least 14 days before travel—means being able to enter the EU without a negative COVID-19 test result or the need to quarantine.
Under the same loosening restrictions, the EU also plans on compiling a list of countries it deems low-risk from which residents can travel without being vaccinated. However, it reserves the right to halt travel from countries where the coronavirus is spiking on a case-by-case basis. The US is currently not labeled low-risk, according to Reuters.
A “COVID Passport” program is also in the works to streamline travel within the EU: Under this program entry requirements such as vaccination, testing, and quarantine will be the same across all EU member countries.
The European Commission also said in a tweet that it will implement a “safety seal” to promote businesses that are complying with the International Organization for Standardization’s health and safety regulations.
A handful of EU member countries, such as Italy and Greece, have recently announced individual reopening plans. However, the EU reopening as a whole marks a huge shift in pandemic travel restrictions to date.