| Update: In early September I wrote about how the Netherlands added a quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated Americans. This will be changing — as of September 22, 2021, fully vaccinated travelers from high risk countries (including the United States) will be allowed to enter the Netherlands without quarantine. You can find the original post from September 3, 2021, below. |
It looks like at least one country in the European Union will be requiring even vaccinated Americans to quarantine, following the United States being removed from the European Union’s safe travels list.
In this post:
New restrictions for vaccinated Americans in the Netherlands
The official website of the government of the Netherlands suggests that:
- As of September 4, 2021, vaccinated Americans will have to quarantine upon arrival; the quarantine will be for 10 days, but can be cut in half (to five days) with testing
- As of September 6, vaccinated Americans will need a negative coronavirus test to even enter the country, which wasn’t previously required
- As of September 4, 2021, unvaccinated Americans will be banned altogether
It’s amazing how many webpages you have to browse through on an official government website to get this info.
First of all, there’s this tidbit, which makes it clear that the United States is being designated “very high-risk” as of September 4, and that testing will be required as of September 6:
Outside the EU, the US, Israel, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia will be designated very high-risk areas as of 4 September. Travellers from these areas can only enter the Netherlands if they are fully vaccinated or fall under one of the exemption categories for the EU entry ban. As of 4 September they will also be required to comply with the mandatory quarantine requirement.
As of 6 September, travellers from these areas must also show a negative test result. Proof of recovery or vaccination will no longer be sufficient.
What is the mandatory quarantine requirement? According to the government website:
You must self-quarantine for 10 days at home or in your accommodation if you travel/return to the Netherlands after staying in an area where the risk of coronavirus infection is very high, including areas where there is a virus variant of concern. This requirement applies even if you have proof of vaccination or proof of recovery. If you get tested on day 5 you might be able to shorten the quarantine period. You may be exempt from the mandatory quarantine requirement depending on the purpose of your trip.
This webpage addresses the exceptions that apply to quarantine, which aren’t anything that would allow someone to travel to the Netherlands for tourism. This includes transit passengers, those who have been in a low risk area for the past 10 days, and people traveling for select other essential reasons.
Why this is a significant development
We recently learned that the United States would be removed from the European Union’s safe travels list, given the increasing case numbers over here, along with the Biden administration refusing to open borders to Europeans, despite lower case numbers and higher vaccination rates over there.
The reality is that the European Union doesn’t have the power to impose specific border restrictions across all member countries, but rather the organization makes recommendations.
The biggest implication of this change was that most European Union countries would ban unvaccinated Americans. That wasn’t the case across the board, though, as individual countries can choose to have their own policy. For example, Greece is open to people from around the world with testing, regardless of vaccination status.
Countries can also add restrictions as they please for vaccinated travelers from high risk countries, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing here. To my knowledge the Netherlands is the first European Union country to add a significant quarantine requirement for vaccinated Americans since the country was removed from the safe travels list.
For all practical purposes, a quarantine is more or less the same as an entry ban for those traveling for tourism. I’m curious to see if other countries follow.
Bottom line
The United States was recently removed from the European Union’s safe travels list. This was purely a recommendation, and individual European Union countries can make their own decisions.
While most countries will ban unvaccinated Americans, the Netherlands is taking it a step further. As of September 4, the Netherlands will require a quarantine for Americans, which will more or less cause anyone to reconsider travel for tourism.
Are you surprised to see the Netherlands add a quarantine requirement for vaccinated Americans?
(Tip of the hat to Dayten)
Will be interesting to see how airlines address this with regard to getting a refund.
I am confused this article: I went a couple months ago, because as a person arriving from US, I needed nothing. Then because rate of infection went up in the US, I could NOT arrive from US. Than it appears one could go, but had to quarantine/test. Now, if I unzderstand the article, if I am vaccinated (I am) I have neither to quarantine nor take a test before arriving.
The title of this article...
I am confused this article: I went a couple months ago, because as a person arriving from US, I needed nothing. Then because rate of infection went up in the US, I could NOT arrive from US. Than it appears one could go, but had to quarantine/test. Now, if I unzderstand the article, if I am vaccinated (I am) I have neither to quarantine nor take a test before arriving.
The title of this article seems to imply that again US arrivals with vaccination status will be able to enter without further ado.
Am I reading the changes correctly?
When I transited through AMS a few weeks ago they didn’t look at my quarantine declaration form, or my health form, and took maybe 0.2 seconds to look at my cdc card. Several US people in line actually going inside Netherlands seemed to breeze through also. Honestly going back to US as a vaccinated US citizen is 7x more hassle.
Not only does this move toward vaccinations reinforce an eventual requirement for international air travel but also preserves the Netherlands as an oversized air travel market for its population.
No surprise. This is a government that spends time and resources on abolishing the RLD.
They clearly didn’t give this much thought. As an American (vaccinated), why would I travel there to only have to quarantine? Why get vaccinated?
You should revise your article and say “travelers coming from America” and not “Americans”. I’m an American but live in Dubai and able to travel to various countries since I’m not arriving from USA.
Help! Im supposed to go to AMS via FRA and then train to PAR then BER. Vaccinated fully. Can i get around this? my stay is brief in AMS. im not planning on changing anything. Was just in Spain/Portugal for 3 weeks last month and I have family in Europe so I guess i will figure this out. Im not changing and hassling over things. this is crazy and ill do what i need to but any advice would be appreciated. merci!
I am on the same situation. I am supposed to go to AMS in October from LA , and staying only 4 days then move to Paris. I can’t follow the quarantine requirements
Hopefully they come to their senses this week and remove the ban... The Dutch government is clueless.
That’s pretty rich coming from a country that allowed the F1 with 70k spectators a day over 3 days with no masks.
That delta is going to spread faster than Max Verstappen’s lap record after this weekend.
1 of the quarantine exemptions is "Staying in the Netherlands for a short period of time. Stays of less than 12 hours."
Does that allow you to leave the airport? Could you book a train ticket to a different EU country and show that as proof you're only staying 12 hours, then never really take the train?
This is confusing, because while it says there 12 hours is ok, this maybe makes me think it wouldn't work: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad/checklist-transit-or-short-stay
We’re on a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam
We arrived on 8/22. We’re planning a couple days extra in Amsterdam
Hope we won’t have any problems
I am scheduled to fly to Croatia from the United States with a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam. Will I be allowed to do this? My travel date is September 17.
Are you on a separate ticket to Croatia or same ticket? If it's the same ticket I would expect normal transfer.
However, I wonder if you need to provide a negative PCR (or antigen) test result to even enter the country as of Sept 6.
So theoretically, if I fly from the US to Switzerland, can I enter the Netherlands 7 days later?
Wow, a country actually looking at the data and making a solid decision based on the health of its population
I think it was just a matter of time until we decided that if we can’t go you can’t come! It boils down to mutual respect!
The article talks about restrictions for 'Americans' but rules applies for anyone travelling from a high risk country like the USA. So it doesn't matter if you're American or not, this also applies to legal resident aliens (non Americans) and any other nationality travelling from the USA.
An American residing in a low-risk country should have no problem travelling to the Netherlands.
As far as I can tell, all US citizens - including vaccinated ones - will be banned from entering Sweden as tourists, as well.
My wife and kids are US citizens and we haven't had any issues entering over the last 18 months when they use their Swedish passports. Hopefully nothing will change for us with this update.
Was supposed to fly out to Amsterdam for business on Sept 5th. Just cancelled because of this new update. Was expecting this change but was also expecting more than 1 day notice.
Geez I'm supposed to fly to Amsterdam next week, brutal timing
me too
Time for the US to bring the Europeans the fight they want. We can see they are bullies for how they are treating England after leaving their socialist EU club.
Put a 500% tax on all Airbus purchases, that will show the snobbish elites in socialist Europe.
What a short thinking….500% Taxi on Boeing and Airbus is fine again…
US extended the travel ban so clean in front of your own door
Except several European Union countries have said they will ignore the EU's "recommendations" and continue allowing Americans. So this is irrelevant because you can just fly to one of those countries and then go to the Netherlands, thanks to no internal European passport controls or border checks.
Update from Portuguese Government (via Consulate in San Francisco): https://saofrancisco.consuladoportugal.mne.gov.pt/en/
Uh oh, looks like Portugal becoming a no go also!
'Flights that are not from/to EU countries or associated with the Schengen Area are exclusively for essential travel"
I was just contemplating booking one of the cheap fares I saw for early next summer on TAP Portugal for $300 roundtrip (EWR-LIS)
We have tickets from ATL to OPO (Porto), and are changing planes in AMS. I looked up your link above, and flights from all Schengen countries are accepted into Portugal. So even though we are traveling from ATL to Portugal, would the fact that we are flying to Portugal from AMS be allowed? I know you don’t know the answer, but that is the question!! LOL
The Dutch government just does not seem to think straight on these issues. When other EU countries started opening up earlier this summer, most allowed only vaccinated Americans in, and some (like Portugal) also required a negative test. The Netherlands, though, allowed unvaccinated Americans in AND no test. Who thought that was a good idea? If I were in charge, I would follow the Portugal model: allow Americans in with a vaccine and a negative...
The Dutch government just does not seem to think straight on these issues. When other EU countries started opening up earlier this summer, most allowed only vaccinated Americans in, and some (like Portugal) also required a negative test. The Netherlands, though, allowed unvaccinated Americans in AND no test. Who thought that was a good idea? If I were in charge, I would follow the Portugal model: allow Americans in with a vaccine and a negative test. While nothing is 100% effective, one would think that would bring the risk of people bringing a case into the country to a statistically small amount and allow the tourism industry to thrive.
The only data really needed is the total numbers of Afghan refugees versus the total number (and high percentage) of unvaccinated in the exemplary southern states I listed. Yes, it only takes one, but when 70% of the population of a state of millions of people refuse to do the responsible thing, the Afghans, even if they all refuse a vaccine, are a drop in the bucket.
Will there be a checkpoint at the Belgian border?
I have no doubt this is reciprocal - EU representatives have made increasingly angry noises about Biden’s ongoing travel ban.
If you’re a US Citizen and don’t want to see more closures from the EU, I’d advise communicating with your elected representatives to reopen the US to Europeans.
Tell your elected representatives to invoke the 25th Amendment immediately.
added because US still doesn't allow EU persons into the country. (if fully vaccinated) that was the original deal. Hope this changes soon.
We have a flight booked into CDG later in the year and I'm keeping a wary eye on French requirements. The irony in these new rules is that the politics of this don't mesh with what's happening, which is that the delta variant is running it's course.
However, I've said this before: COVID is here to stay and we will have to learn to live with it on a daily basis without fudging our pants over every new case report.
Like the author I found this out this morning, literally while packing our bags for a 7 day trip to visit my Dutch relatives we have not seen in 2 years. The government could at least have given us a week notice or so. This was extremely disappointing even though I understand why the measure was taken. Had I flown in yesterday everything would have been fine. The virus apparently acts very differently one day to the next.
Just go and say you will quarantine and sign off on it with the airline. I highly doubt they are going to enforce it. I was there working earlier this week and trust me, the Dutch are the most lax of anywhere in Europe as to anything Covid. This is for show and politics in the U.S. not lifting restrictions.
You can apply for a quarantine exemption if you are visiting family! Please take a look: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad/self-quarantine/exceptions-mandatory-quarantine
My family is planning on coming in 2 days… it looks like they are exempted from quarantine.
Don't have to 'apply', just check the visiting family box. Most likely no-one will ask about it anyway.
Visits to first- and second-degree family members, including relatives by marriage, such as parents-in-law, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law and stepbrothers and stepsisters.
The exemption applies to:
people living abroad who come to the Netherlands to visit family
residents of the Netherlands returning after visiting family abroad.
Examples of necessary family visits include...
Don't have to 'apply', just check the visiting family box. Most likely no-one will ask about it anyway.
Visits to first- and second-degree family members, including relatives by marriage, such as parents-in-law, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law and stepbrothers and stepsisters.
The exemption applies to:
people living abroad who come to the Netherlands to visit family
residents of the Netherlands returning after visiting family abroad.
Examples of necessary family visits include reunification with family members after a long period of separation due to the COVID-19 pandemic or a visit to a sick family member.
Here is our dilemma: We visited our daughter, son-in-law and new grandson the week of July 4. We were planning to go back again in two weeks. Nothing is booked yet however. Will the Dutch immigration officer say that we can't use the quarantine exemption because we were just there and it is not a "long period of separation due to the COVID-19 pandemic?"
I am in an airport now, eventually transiting through AMS in less that 24 hours. It looks like we’ll still be ok with just the vax proof and proof of travel to the next country, but sheesh i wish they’d give us a little more than 24 hours headstart when they drop bombshells like this! (Yes, even with our high cases this is a bombshell. I expected something more like what Germany did some days back)
Please let us know how it goes with transit in AMS! I have a ticket to AMS later this year but I guess I will need to add another leg with another carrier upon arrival in AMS to avoid the mandatory quarantine!
Sweden as well until no earlier than Oct 31st, no entry unless family emergency, business, EU/Swedish resident. There goes to fall trip to see family.
The way I read the regulations you can fly from the US to another country if you are in a transit.
I'm just surprised at how abruptly this was announced and how one still cannot find documentation on govt websites or the official Re-Open EU website, despite diligent checking. We got the email from Delta yesterday afternoon and could not find corroboration anywhere. We're changing our travel plans for later this month to cut our day-long layover in AMS, so it's not the end of the world for us. But sucks for Americans with travel plans...
I'm just surprised at how abruptly this was announced and how one still cannot find documentation on govt websites or the official Re-Open EU website, despite diligent checking. We got the email from Delta yesterday afternoon and could not find corroboration anywhere. We're changing our travel plans for later this month to cut our day-long layover in AMS, so it's not the end of the world for us. But sucks for Americans with travel plans today. Thanks, anti-vaxxers. Sigh...
It was only announced today and it is absolutely posted on the Dutch government's travel website (which admittedly is a very confusing site and has lots of different pages that aren't always updated at the same time).
The various airline systems and travel companies will probably take a couple days to update their own information.
Right. I checked the govt websites last night after we got the email from Delta, and the US was still listed as a "safe" country on the linked lists (which we all know is not true). With travel in just over three weeks and the news of the EC recommendation last weekend/Monday, I've been checking daily. Spain, which is my ultimate destination, has been a bit more proactive in messaging - new standards announced today...
Right. I checked the govt websites last night after we got the email from Delta, and the US was still listed as a "safe" country on the linked lists (which we all know is not true). With travel in just over three weeks and the news of the EC recommendation last weekend/Monday, I've been checking daily. Spain, which is my ultimate destination, has been a bit more proactive in messaging - new standards announced today on social media and elsewhere and implemented as of 9/6, which gives people jumping on a plane in the next few days time to adjust plans.
Also for others who are asking, it appears US travelers can still transit through Schiphol as long as they don't leave the airport. We just changed our layover from all day/exploring Amsterdam to just a couple of hours.
Well, in comparison to the US it is still a relatively mild measure. The US still does not permit non-US-citizens/residents to travel from Europe to the US, at all ...
Amazing, just left two days of meetings there yesterday and am in Munich now. The hotel I was at was filled with Americans. Mask wearing was surprisingly minimal in Amsterdam (other than the airport), even in hotels. Also, unlike Germany and Austria, no one in NL was asking for my vaccination card anywhere. So it seems an odd approach, instead of every single place you step into in Germany/Austria requiring to see your card, they...
Amazing, just left two days of meetings there yesterday and am in Munich now. The hotel I was at was filled with Americans. Mask wearing was surprisingly minimal in Amsterdam (other than the airport), even in hotels. Also, unlike Germany and Austria, no one in NL was asking for my vaccination card anywhere. So it seems an odd approach, instead of every single place you step into in Germany/Austria requiring to see your card, they didn't, but instead just essentially banned us all. An odd jump to the extreme but, so be it. This could well mean Germany will soon follow.
In Rome now, the custom & weather lends itself to outdoor dining, but the two places we’ve eaten indoors were checking EU green pass/US vaccine cards and turning people away without them.
Good to hear that. In Vienna and Munich they even have been checking them for outdoor seating as well. I think it's great.
This is definitely disappointing. We plan to fly to Paris end of this month and then take a train to Amsterdam. I assume this change wouldn’t impact us as we are still considered traveling within EU. Does anybody know if this would work?
I would imagine based on the historical workings of these quarantines it would be that if you were in a Green country for the 10 days prior you would be allowed in. But you should email the Dutch consulate in the U.S. to confirm this. And make sure your passport is stamped when entering the EU elsewhere. There is also the probability they won't even be checking anyone coming by train there from within the EU.
Thank you - I just emailed the Dutch consulate in New York!
I couldn’t find anything on Netherlands government website regarding the definition of traveling from within/outside EU. My guess is it is what it sounds like, arriving from within or outside EU.
That’s good to know! I imagine travel by train will even be more relaxed than flying!
As Stuart noted, it’s vanishingly unlikely you’ll be checked on a Paris-NL train. And the onerous new rule is the self-quarantine. That’s not a “check on the train” thing.
Your biggest concern should be any change in French rules before you arrive.
@Daniel And I will add that I flew earlier in the week from VIE to AMS and there was no document check on arrival, or any sort of health screening. I walked right out the airport. However they did check my vaccination card at check-in in VIE. As has been the case throughout the past year in my navigating these things, the gatekeepers are the airlines/transport companies. If you can get by them it's doubtful...
@Daniel And I will add that I flew earlier in the week from VIE to AMS and there was no document check on arrival, or any sort of health screening. I walked right out the airport. However they did check my vaccination card at check-in in VIE. As has been the case throughout the past year in my navigating these things, the gatekeepers are the airlines/transport companies. If you can get by them it's doubtful anyone else will check anything (not the case in Asia though).
I'm fine with this but at the same time I doubt all American travelers going to AMS today will know of this new rule.
This is great to hear. Hope that more countries in the EU follow suit.
To all 'Proud Europeans" and others whoever thinks it is great news (major European country is closing for American visitors): please understand the vast majority of Americans could care less about Europe or the rest of the world and believe in isolationism. If this thinking prevailed in times of crisis, liberal Europe would probably be wearing brown shirts or red shirts for now (historical fact: it took Nazi Germany the entire 5 days to occupy...
To all 'Proud Europeans" and others whoever thinks it is great news (major European country is closing for American visitors): please understand the vast majority of Americans could care less about Europe or the rest of the world and believe in isolationism. If this thinking prevailed in times of crisis, liberal Europe would probably be wearing brown shirts or red shirts for now (historical fact: it took Nazi Germany the entire 5 days to occupy the NL, and it would have taken the USSR even less than that). Just a thought......
This is really interesting since NL had one of the most lax restrictions in Europe before. So I have a trip to France in early October and was going to spend a night in the Netherlands. Will is still be able to spend the night there if I just stay in the hotel and then go back to the airport? (Vaccinated with negative covid test)
With the flood of untested refugees pouring into the US by land and by air, there will be restrictions until covid dies a natural death. and we haven't seen the influx of refugees hit western Europe yet but they are coming.
The highest per capita death rates are still in the northern tier of US states including NY state where the first act of the NY governor was to add 10,000 new senior deaths...
With the flood of untested refugees pouring into the US by land and by air, there will be restrictions until covid dies a natural death. and we haven't seen the influx of refugees hit western Europe yet but they are coming.
The highest per capita death rates are still in the northern tier of US states including NY state where the first act of the NY governor was to add 10,000 new senior deaths to the covid count.
Let's see what other European countries do but most of the world has figured out that managing covid comes down to one's own economics. In the case of KLM and the Netherlands, Belgium has long had a much higher per capita covid death rate. This move will just shift more traffic to Air France and deepen calls of excessive influence of the French. Delta can move its planes to Paris but KLM cannot.
I'm much more worried about the danger from the millions in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, SC, Texas, etc. who refuse to do the responsible thing for our society than the thousands of Afghan refugees who will likely take the vaccine happily if offered to get to this safe country that many of them assisted as workers and translators for the past 20 years.
I'd love to see the data to support your conclusion.
Since US airline flight attendants say that Afghan refugees regularly refuse to wear masks on the evac flights to the US, your hope might be a tad misplaced.
Everyone that can needs to be vaccinated but that doesn't change that thousands of people are pouring into the country with no or unknown vaccination status. It only takes one person to start an epidemic
The only data really needed is the total numbers of Afghan refugees versus the total number (and high percentage) of unvaccinated in the exemplary southern states I listed. Yes, it only takes one, but when 70% of the population of a state of millions of people refuse to do the responsible thing, the Afghans, even if they all refuse a vaccine, are a drop in the bucket.
Those that repeatedly bring up Southern States including Florida would do well to actually bother to sort per capita death rates. If they did, they would see that there are precisely FIVE NORTHERN US states in the worst 10 US states by per capita death rates and FOUR SOUTHERN STATES plus one MOUNTAIN state.
Florida is 17th on the per capita list and Texas is below the national average as of Friday's data.
Can you blame them? Thanks Florida and Texas!
It is Fla and Texas, but it's also very much the Biden administration which, for some unknown reason, hasn't opened the US borders to vaccinated foreigners.
I am not entirely sure this is true. This update applies to travellers coming from very high risk areas where there is a variant of concern. The US will not be on this list from Sept. 4, it gets moved to very high risk area WITHOUT a variant of concern. As such, vaccinated Americans can continue to travel to the Netherlands but will need to show a negative test result.
@ Matt -- That's not my reading of the situation, and I think the text is pretty clear. Also, for what it's worth, Delta sent an email to passengers booked on flights from the United States to the Netherlands making it clear that they'll have to quarantine even if vaccinated.
The classification of "high risk with variant of concern" is being merged into "very high risk" therefore the quarantine regulation does apply to those traveling from such a category.
Disappointing news/ I was just in AMS last month 100% business trip. I leave for FRA/MUC/HAM next week, again 100% meetings with clients. I think all govts are underestimating the closure of borders, impact on intl business, job creation. It is brutal...business owners/ execs will not negotiate million dollar deals over Zoom. It requires face-to-face meetings/ building trust etc. Forget tourism...pls let us travel for business
What a load of nonsense. What do you think happened when ALL borders closed last year - that business just stopped and deals stopped being negotiated and signed? NO! Zoom worked perfectly fine and still does. Come back to earth, and also stop bragging about your 100% business travel and 100% client meetings. It’s gross and nobody cares.
They can continue to travel to the Netherlands (provided that they are vaccinated), but will now have to show negative test result and self-quarantine.
Right after Labor Day and the end of the summer travel season. How bold.
Look, I’m triple vaccinated and believer of science and reality. I know the vaccine isn’t perfect and the US is loaded with Delta Variant.
But this is mostly political, both ways. And with everything we’ve been thru that’s BS.
When I travel from the U.S. back to the Netherlands later this month it looks like I will have to travel (on separate tickets) via another country that is not on the high-risk list. The chaos continues...
Thank you trailer trash anti vaxxers.
I guess the rest of us will be joining you in Florida this winter after we are banned from the rest of the world....
I think I'd rather stay home than spend my money in FLA. I can't even imagine what the number is of Americans cancelling their trips to AMS because of this??
That’s fine, us open-minded democrats in South Florida don’t want your close-minded money anyway.
You people act as if you travel to Tallahassee or Ocala for vacation in FL...
In the past year I've been to Panama City, Apalachacola, Tampa, Naples, and Marco Island. There are a few other places in Fla besides the Ft Lauderdale-Miami corridor.
oyou mean pro vaxxer that don't wear masks who spread it right? there are people who are science based who have conditions and allergies that prevent them from getting it. and why do people who already had covid need it, seems like logic is out the window.
Well that’s a bit extreme and I guess I’m canceling another int’l trip...
The insanity continues.
Interested to see how this will be enforced assuming uneven entry requirements across the EU.
There’s no road/rail border entry enforcement.
And if you book two separate air tickets, US-easy EU entry country & Easy EU entry-NL I wonder how that will be enforced?
The Dutch border police have been doing spot checks at land borders and on trains in the past weeks, as it is also required to have a 'corona certificate' (vaccination, recovery, or test result) to travel between many EU countries. The checks have been sporadic and relatively rare, but the possibility exists.
On intra-EU/Schengen flights, check-in agents check the same. In my experience they don't look that closely and aren't fully trained on the nuances...
The Dutch border police have been doing spot checks at land borders and on trains in the past weeks, as it is also required to have a 'corona certificate' (vaccination, recovery, or test result) to travel between many EU countries. The checks have been sporadic and relatively rare, but the possibility exists.
On intra-EU/Schengen flights, check-in agents check the same. In my experience they don't look that closely and aren't fully trained on the nuances of each country, so there's chance that this could work.... but there's also a chance that it wouldn't.
Yeah, that’s a lot of weight on check in agents.
My experience, flew SFO-Lisbon-Rome two weeks ago. COVID test (Portugal requirement) checked at SFO airline desk & Portugal immigration. COVID vaccine card (Italy requirement) never checked.
@ Never In Doubt -- In general there hasn't been consistent enforcement of travel restrictions, the challenge is what happens if you get caught. It's not different than how there's no enforcement if you don't pay your taxes, until you get caught, and then you're in huge trouble. I know of several people who have illegally entered the United States by signing the attestation form claiming that they haven't been in a banned area in...
@ Never In Doubt -- In general there hasn't been consistent enforcement of travel restrictions, the challenge is what happens if you get caught. It's not different than how there's no enforcement if you don't pay your taxes, until you get caught, and then you're in huge trouble. I know of several people who have illegally entered the United States by signing the attestation form claiming that they haven't been in a banned area in the past 14 days, and they weren't caught. But I'm sure just as many people were caught, and I'm sure they could have faced some significant punishment.
I don't think it's worth playing games with entry requirements...
In the Netherlands it's an €95 fine for entering the country without a 'corona pass' when required (i.e., proof of test, vaccination, or recovery) and it's a €395 fine for breaking the quarantine requirements. In the Netherlands any fine over €100 results in a criminal record which could impact your ability to enter Europe or get residency in the future.
Fines to date have been loosely/rarely enforced, but the possibility exists. I doubt they'd deport...
In the Netherlands it's an €95 fine for entering the country without a 'corona pass' when required (i.e., proof of test, vaccination, or recovery) and it's a €395 fine for breaking the quarantine requirements. In the Netherlands any fine over €100 results in a criminal record which could impact your ability to enter Europe or get residency in the future.
Fines to date have been loosely/rarely enforced, but the possibility exists. I doubt they'd deport tourists who fail to quarantine, but then again I don't think anyone expected drastic measure such as these either. These days you just never know.
No one was suggesting playing games.
I agree with the comments on enforcement. It’s likely to be uneven at best, but more likely non-existent except at Schengen entry.
As a Dutch person, I can assure you this is purely because of the US still banning travel for vaccinated Europeans. I wouldn't be surprised to see other (northern) European countries follow this soon as well.
When the US fixes their weird travel ban policies, this quarantine requirement will be lifted quickly as well.
Correct! The US govt’s claim to be “led by the science” in the way it goes about this is becoming more and more ridiculous by the day.
It’s a total joke; and I hope more countries across Europe follow the NL’s example until the US administration wakes up.
Chris, you wildly overestimate the level of concern the POTUS would have over the relatively tiny fraction of Americans who’s travel to Europe between now and May, 2022 would be made more difficult/prevented.
Chris, you have what President Biden calls "Neanderthal thinking". Europeans have shown us over the last 18 months that they can't behave responsibly. If you follow the science, the only logical conclusion is banning their entry to the US until they get their house in order.
Gosh, you're really fixated with this "can't behave responsible". Don't know how many times I've read it on here in different stories. Haven't you got any other argumentations??? ♀️
What in the world are you talking about? Honestly, I have no idea--especially vis-a-vis American "responsible behavior."
Dutch or not, you are not in a position to "guarantee" that. Nor is Ben in a position to state that this is a case of reciprocity.
That could be the case but the observed behavior of European countries is entirely consistent with their published policy of taking the US off the list when we fall below the red-line rate of new cases and adding us back when we exceed it. Their behavior does not...
Dutch or not, you are not in a position to "guarantee" that. Nor is Ben in a position to state that this is a case of reciprocity.
That could be the case but the observed behavior of European countries is entirely consistent with their published policy of taking the US off the list when we fall below the red-line rate of new cases and adding us back when we exceed it. Their behavior does not (entirely) align with the reciprocity theory (since they did, in fact, remove the US from the list during our brief flirtation with low infection rates).
Furthermore, while the reciprocity argument makes some sense based on national pride there's an equally compelling case to be made that countries that admit US tourists while the US does not admit their citizens are in an economically favorable position -- getting tourist income from both their own citizens as well as the US.
I doubt it. Case numbers in the U.S. are objectively high, so given the EU framework it makes sense to classify travelers from the U.S. as "high risk". The newly introduced requirement for travelers from the U.S. to get tested and quarantine upon arrival, even when they have been vaccinated, merely reflects the emerging conclusion that vaccination does not do much to prevent COVID transmission.
That is not to say that the U.S. travel ban...
I doubt it. Case numbers in the U.S. are objectively high, so given the EU framework it makes sense to classify travelers from the U.S. as "high risk". The newly introduced requirement for travelers from the U.S. to get tested and quarantine upon arrival, even when they have been vaccinated, merely reflects the emerging conclusion that vaccination does not do much to prevent COVID transmission.
That is not to say that the U.S. travel ban is completely irrational and urgently needs to be reviewed/updated.