The Promise Of International Travel: April EU Travel Restrictions, Covid-19 Test Requirements, Quarantine By Country

The Promise Of International Travel: April EU Travel Restrictions, Covid-19 Test Requirements, Quarantine By Country

The picture across the EU area (plus the U.K.) in April is one of cautious optimism; countries are planning how to emerge from current lockdowns and open up to international travel. The next few weeks will determine how far and fast this can happen and indeed, if it will be uniform across the region:

whilst many countries are still struggling with high infection rates, many are relaxing lockdown measures and heading into a ‘lockdown light’ modus operandi for May;

after a slow start, many EU countries have seen a significant upturn in the quantities of vaccine being given, although health fears over AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, are dampening progress;

three EU countries have already announced dates for reopening Greece by 14 May, Malta on 1 June, and Denmark plans to reopen to vaccinated passengers on 26 June. In addition, the U.K. will open up on 17 May (but possible 1 July), Israel has announced plans to reopen to vaccinated passengers from May and Iceland is already open to vaccinated passengers;

the question is how they will reopen. Will they do it under the guise of the new EU digital vaccine certificates or use another system? And how will they control internal EU borders, if one country is open and another closed? As islands, Iceland and Ireland would possibly be easier to manage, but the mainland would be more problematic.