Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations

[island]

If you're unvaccinated and not a citizen of the country you're travelling to, the answer is generally no.

That's quite a sweeping generalisation. Plenty of countries allow entry to unvaccinated travellers; a negative test is often necessary.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

If you are unvaccinated are you allowed to travel to Europe now? It seems increasingly difficult, I guess that's the idea!

There are some countries you can travel to, yes. Greece, Portugal, as well as Albania and many in the Balkans will allow you unvaccinated as long as you have proof of negative test. And they'll allow you without quarantine.

You can also go to Italy, again with proof of negative test, but you'll need to quarantine for 5 days.

Other European countries either require 10/14 day quarantine or only allow you unvaccinated to enter for essential reasons, like France or the Netherlands, for example.

Not in Europe I know but one destination that comes to mind where the unvaccinated not only are they allowed to enter for tourism, but also are not even required to have proof of negative test (just a passenger locator form) is Mexico.

P.S. I very recently (sometime in mid October) got double jabbed with Pfizer so this no longer bothers me whether I need to be vaccinated or not to travel to another country, however I just thought I'd answer the question anyway.

UPDATE AS OF 05/12/2021: Spain no longer allows unvaccinated British people in.

 

[robbob700]

The rules for children also vary considerably. For Italy unvaccinated children under 18 can enter without quarantine (with a negative test) if they travel with parents who are vaccinated, whereas Netherlands only allows children under 13 to avoid 10 days quarantine - effectively ruling out travel to the Netherlands with teenage children.

 

[roversfan2001]

Is there any actual difference between a 'Fit to Fly' antigen test and a 'Day 2' antigen test? I'm looking at going away to Italy next month and they require proof of a negative test, even for vaccinated travellers. SimplyTestMe offers Day 2 tests for £12 but don't offer specific pre-departure ones. Obviously it would be great if Italy accepted the NHS text as proof, but I suspect they don't.

 

[Watershed]

Is there any actual difference between a 'Fit to Fly' antigen test and a 'Day 2' antigen test? I'm looking at going away to Italy next month and they require proof of a negative test, even for vaccinated travellers. SimplyTestMe offers Day 2 tests for £12 but don't offer specific pre-departure ones. Obviously it would be great if Italy accepted the NHS text as proof, but I suspect they don't.

They both involve taking exactly the same kind of test in exactly the same way, but a Fit to Fly test gives you some form of proof that you've tested negative (usually in the form of a certificate) whereas a day 2 test will often notify you of a negative result in a less formal way, which I don't think would necessarily be accepted at the border.

That said, in my experience, the Italian border police were only interested in my passport, but obviously you can't guarantee the same will happen to you!

 

[SouthEastBuses]

This reminds me, who has been to Italy recently? I wonder what it's like when you arrive at the border, or at least, Naples Airport (that's where I'm going this December). Do they normally only check your passport from your experiences?

 

[221129]

That said, in my experience, the Italian border police were only interested in my passport, but obviously you can't guarantee the same will happen to you!

Don't forget that it's not just about what the border police will accept, but the airline.

 

[Watershed]

Don't forget that it's not just about what the border police will accept, but the airline.

Of course. In my case I just uploaded my documentation online; I have no idea whether it was even checked but my boarding pass said that Covid documentation had been uploaded.

 

[D6130]

This reminds me, who has been to Italy recently? I wonder what it's like when you arrive at the border, or at least, Naples Airport (that's where I'm going this December). Do they normally only check your passport from your experiences?

I've just returned from eight weeks in Italy and we travelled by train. The only frontier formalities that we experienced were British and French at Eurostar's St Pancras and Paris Nord terminals on the outward and return journeys. They were only interested in our passports - which were stamped - and the Eurostar gate staff wanted to see our vaccination passports in both directions. We never had to show the French "Declaration d'honneur" forms and when the UK passport guy at Gare du Nord asked us if we had completed our return to UK passenger locator forms, I started to pull mine out of its folder and he just said "That's fine", without looking at it.

 

[scarby]

I loaded my and my wife's certificated onto the French "tous anti covid" app so I should show them both without internet connection and had no issues.

Doesn't this app try to track one's location? I was going to uploaded it but when I did it began with some text about tracking and Bluetooth so I abandoned it.

 

[island]

Doesn't this app try to track one's location? I was going to uploaded it but when I did it began with some text about tracking and Bluetooth so I abandoned it.

In short – no.

The app stores details of locations you've scanned into and anonymized details of other app users whom you've been near for an extended period of time.

If such a location is connected to a COVID outbreak, or such a person tests positive, a notification will be sent to the app with details, and the app will advise the person to get tested/take extra care/self-isolate, as appropriate.

 

[kristiang85]

Is there any actual difference between a 'Fit to Fly' antigen test and a 'Day 2' antigen test? I'm looking at going away to Italy next month and they require proof of a negative test, even for vaccinated travellers. SimplyTestMe offers Day 2 tests for £12 but don't offer specific pre-departure ones. Obviously it would be great if Italy accepted the NHS text as proof, but I suspect they don't.

As long as your result shows your name and passport number, I think you should be OK.

 

[nlogax]

Germany now 'not ruling out full lockdown' for everyone including those who are vaccinated.

Time to start looking at NYC flights then..I can't see my Berlin trip happening a month from now.

 

[Richard Scott]

Germany now 'not ruling out full lockdown' for everyone including those who are vaccinated.

When will this stupidity stop?

 

[Fragezeichnen]

Germany now 'not ruling out full lockdown' for everyone including those who are vaccinated.

Where did you see that? I can't find any mention of it in the German media. Söder wants it in Bavaria, but then they are in so many ways Germany's Scotland.

 

[kristiang85]

I'm starting to worry about my Belgian trip at the end of December.

 

[nlogax]

Where did you see that? I can't find any mention of it in the German media. Söder wants it in Bavaria, but then they are in so many ways Germany's Scotland.

Seen on a fair few news sites this morning but I'd go directly to Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/eur...any-may-follow-covid-grips-europe-2021-11-19/

VIENNA/BERLIN, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Austria will become the first country in western Europe to reimpose a full COVID-19 lockdown, it said on Friday as neighbouring Germany warned it may follow suit, sending shivers through financial markets worried about the economic fallout.

A fourth wave of infections has plunged Germany, Europe's largest economy, into a national emergency, Health Minister Jens Spahn said. He urged people to reduce their social contacts, warning that vaccinations alone would not reduce case numbers.

 

[YorkshireBear]

Seen on a fair few news sites this morning but I'd go directly to Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/markets/eur...any-may-follow-covid-grips-europe-2021-11-19/

See this too, cancelling my trip to Germany as I type! Cant be doing with the stress and uncertainty of it all

 

[LAX54]

There are some countries you can travel to, yes. Greece, Spain, Portugal, as well as Albania and many in the Balkans will allow you unvaccinated as long as you have proof of negative test. And they'll allow you without quarantine.

You can also go to Italy, again with proof of negative test, but you'll need to quarantine for 5 days.

Other European countries either require 10/14 day quarantine or only allow you unvaccinated to enter for essential reasons, like France or the Netherlands, for example.

Not in Europe I know but one destination that comes to mind where the unvaccinated not only are they allowed to enter for tourism, but also are not even required to have proof of negative test (just a passenger locator form) is Mexico.

P.S. I very recently (sometime in mid October) got double jabbed with Pfizer so this no longer bothers me whether I need to be vaccinated or not to travel to another country, however I just thought I'd answer the question anyway.

Netherlands anyone who is double jabbed and has had a PCR / AntiGen test (24hrs) can visit, no need for essential reasons.
BUT can anyone point me to the form I need to pop over the border into Germany ? I can find a form, but it is the one that you fill in if you are staying in Germany for 10 days, or is the NHS Certificate good enough ?

 

[Peterthegreat]

Netherlands anyone who is double jabbed and has had a PCR / AntiGen test (24hrs) can visit, no need for essential reasons.
BUT can anyone point me to the form I need to pop over the border into Germany ? I can find a form, but it is the one that you fill in if you are staying in Germany for 10 days, or is the NHS Certificate good enough ?

If you have been in the UK (or other high risk country) in the previous ten days you still need to fill in the (same) form. If you have not there are no forms to fill in. Your NHS certificate (or app) will be sufficient.

 

[LAX54]

If you have been in the UK (or other high risk country) in the previous ten days you still need to fill in the (same) form. If you have not there are no forms to fill in. Your NHS certificate (or app) will be sufficient.

Yes, coming from UK, via Hoek, then into Germany, but only for a few hours then back into Holland, I can find the form, but of course I have no address in Germany to enter, so it will not let me complete that form !

 

[Butts]

See this too, cancelling my trip to Germany as I type! Cant be doing with the stress and uncertainty of it all

Stop panicking and stand firm !!

Nothing will stop me getting to Albania and Turkey over the next few weeks.

If it all goes pete tong at least the Airports will be quieter again

 

[Cdd89]

Netherlands anyone who is double jabbed and has had a PCR / AntiGen test (24hrs) can visit, no need for essential reasons.

@SouthEastBuses was posting a post of countries you can visit under certain circumstances while not vaccinated, which looks correct to me (it was good to see it laid out like that!).

 

[Peterthegreat]

Yes, coming from UK, via Hoek, then into Germany, but only for a few hours then back into Holland, I can find the form, but of course I have no address in Germany to enter, so it will not let me complete that form !

​

Digital entry registration​

Travellers who have visited a high-risk area or area of variant of concern in the last ten days must register at www.einreiseanmeldung.de before arriving in Germany and carry proof of registration with them upon entry. Exemptions to this registration requirement apply in particular to persons who

• have only passed through a high-risk area or area of variant of concern without a stopover,
• are only passing through Germany, or
• in the case of border traffic: persons who have spent less than 24 hours in a high-risk area oder area of variant of concern or are only entering Germany for a period of up to 24 hours.
  

Item 3 applies- no form required.

 

[nlogax]

See this too, cancelling my trip to Germany as I type! Cant be doing with the stress and uncertainty of it all

Argh, sorry to hear that and can completely see why you're going that route. Not sure where things stand with my break but I feel a call to BA coming on early next week as things become more (or less?) clear.

 

[LAX54]

​

Digital entry registration​

Travellers who have visited a high-risk area or area of variant of concern in the last ten days must register at www.einreiseanmeldung.de before arriving in Germany and carry proof of registration with them upon entry. Exemptions to this registration requirement apply in particular to persons who

• have only passed through a high-risk area or area of variant of concern without a stopover,
• are only passing through Germany, or
• in the case of border traffic: persons who have spent less than 24 hours in a high-risk area oder area of variant of concern or are only entering Germany for a period of up to 24 hours.

Item 3 applies- no form required.

Thankyou...missed that bot mind at rest for a few days...LOL

 

[YorkshireBear]

Stop panicking and stand firm !!

Nothing will stop me getting to Albania and Turkey over the next few weeks.

If it all goes pete tong at least the Airports will be quieter again

Yeah I kept telling myself that but turns out it's not for me

Not spending loads of money if it's not going to be any good. The idea of testing to get into bars over there (which some places are now starting) does not feel like a holiday to me!

 

[KeithMcC]

Just back from a short business trip to Germany with a lot of travelling. Masks everywhere (also often specified as FFP2), vaccine passport checked just about everywhere (UK app accepted now). Had to cancel one meeting as the host decided to ban visitors.
Immigration took ages, with the forms checked (in one scrum), then another for immigration, complete with lots of 'what type of business' questions. Arriving alongside 2 flights from Turkey probably didn't help!
Press and government seem to be panicking and more restrictions looked likely from watching the TV.
Coming home I managed to get Verifly to work and upload the documents and it was then all very easy. On line checkin and through the E gates at City.
Need to go to Holland next week, but will check with my local colleagues first!

 

[Peterthegreat]

It looks like tourism is now banned in Saxony
"A different toolbox": Saxony goes into partial lockdown - n-tv.de

 

[hst43102]

Just a quick question. What "measures" are in place on arrival back in the UK from Europe?