The European Union Council announced Tuesday, June 30, 2020 that Canada is one of 15 countries whose citizens will be allowed to enter Europe as of July 1, 2020.
The 14 other countries on the EU Council’s “safe list” are Algeria, Australia, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. China will also be deemed “safe” as long as it lifts travel restrictions on EU citizens. The United States, along with countries such as Brazil and Russia, were not included on the safe list and travelers will continued to be banned for the time being because of the large number of coronavirus cases.
The EU countries that may now open their borders to Canadians are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. Members of the European Free Trade Association, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland are also included in the list of countries who may welcome travelers from “safe” countries.
Though EU members are now allowed to welcome travelers from approved countries, they are not required to do so, so be sure to check a country’s own specific rules for entry before you book a flight. The EU Council noted in a press release that “The Council recommendation is not a legally binding instrument. The authorities of the member states remain responsible for implementing the content of the recommendation. They may, in full transparency, lift only progressively travel restrictions towards countries listed.”
Furthermore, the list of “safe” countries will be reviewed every two weeks and may be updated by the Council. The press release goes on to state that “Travel restrictions may be totally or partially lifted or reintroduced for a specific third country already listed according to changes in some of the conditions and, as a consequence, in the assessment of the epidemiological situation. If the situation in a listed third country worsens quickly, rapid decision-making should be applied.”
According to the EU Council, the determination of whether a country is safe is based on the following criteria:
For countries where travel restrictions continue to apply, the following categories of people should be exempted from the restrictions:
Should You Pack Your Bags?
While many Canadians yearning for a European vacation will be excited by the lifting of the EU’s travel ban, it’s important to be fully aware of the risks.
On its website, the government of Canada is still advising all Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel outside Canada and to avoid all cruise ship travel. The website states that “If you choose to travel despite these advisories, be aware that commercial airspace closures and movement restrictions can occur without warning and could prevent your return to Canada. The Government of Canada is not planning additional facilitated flights to bring Canadians home during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Furthermore, if you do decide to do some European globetrotting, Canadians are still subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon return to Canada.
I’m a Canadian writer and editor who specializes in travel, food and wine. My father was in the Canadian Air Force so my family was constantly moving from base to base,
I’m a Canadian writer and editor who specializes in travel, food and wine. My father was in the Canadian Air Force so my family was constantly moving from base to base, which is why I developed an unquenchable thirst to discover what lies beyond the next horizon. My work has appeared in a variety of publications like the New York Times, the UK Telegraph, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe and the Toronto Star. As a wayfaring writer I spend most of time exploring new destinations and I’ve also been fortunate enough to live for a year or two in captivating cities across the globe like Paris, France, Seoul, South Korea and, most recently, Cape Town, South Africa. When travelling I especially love experiencing the food and wine scene, and I have my WSET Level 1 Award in Wines. Follow me on Twitter at @MacgregorWrites and Instagram at @sandragetssidetracked.