EU recommends further relaxation of travel rules

Member states of the European Union agreed on Tuesday that they should continue to facilitate tourism travel to the bloc of 27 countries for people who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus or who have recovered from Covid-19.

The European Council recommends countries EU lift all testing and quarantine requirements next month for people who have received vaccines authorized in the EU or approved by the World Health Organization.

Individuals who received the last dose of their primary vaccination series at least 14 days and no more than 270 days prior to arrival, or who received a booster dose, will be eligible along with those who have recovered from Covid-19 within 180 days after the trip*.

The EU Executive Commission has welcomed the non-binding guidance, which also clearly states that no tests or additional requirements should be applied to children under 6 traveling with an adult.

“The updates will further facilitate travel from outside the EU and will take into account the evolution of the pandemic, the growing spread of vaccination worldwide and the introduction of booster doses,” the European Commission said.

The European Council said that travelers who received vaccines approved by the WHO but not authorized for use in the EU may still be asked to provide a negative PCR test result or be placed in quarantine.

So far, the EU has authorized Covid-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Novavax.

Greece is the only EU country that since January 2022 does not recognize the fact that a person has been ill with coronavirus, and accordingly does not issue certificates that give the right to ease the quarantine regime.

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