So before you start buying new luggage and booking tickets now that the EU’s COVID travel restrictions have changed, read up on the key things you should know before planning a trip to Europe in 2021.
When can Americans visit the EU?
On May 19, the 27 nations that comprise the European Union voted to reopen their borders to fully vaccinated Americans. While the EU as a whole hasn’t set an exact date for this plan to roll out just yet, many of its member states are now allowing American travels to come for a visit—and in some places, you don’t even have to be vaccinated.
Greece: as of April 19, 2021
Greece was one of the first nations to open its borders to American tourists. Before you go, here’s what you should know. To travel to Greece, you must:
Provide proof that you’re fully vaccinated, orPresent negative COVID-19 test results within the 72 hours prior to boarding
Extra steps: All American visitors must also fill out a Passenger Locator Form by 11:59 P.M. the day before they land. Do you have to be vaccinated to travel to Greece? No, you do not have to be fully vaccinated as long as you present a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to departure.
Italy: as of May 16, 2021
Starting May 16th, Italy began letting in COVID-tested flights from the U.S.—meaning flights where all passengers (even fully vaccinated ones) must complete mandatory COVID testing both before departure and after arrival. To travel to Italy, you must arrive on a COVID-test flight, which requires that you:
Take a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test no more than 72 hours before departure, andTake a rapid antigen test prior to boarding, andTake a rapid antigen test on arrival
Do you have to be vaccinated to travel to Italy? No, you do not have to be fully vaccinated as long as you meet their criteria.
Iceland: as of March 18, 2021
Even though Iceland was among the first to open its borders to Americans, the nation is still taking entry requirements seriously. Here’s what you should know before planning a trip to Iceland in 2021. To travel to Iceland, you must:
Provide proof that you’re fully vaccinated, orProvide proof that you’ve already had the COVID infection, andTake a COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before departure, andTake a COVID-19 test on arrival
Extra steps: Complete a pre-registration form no more than 72 hours before you arrive. Do you have to be vaccinated to travel to Iceland? No, you do not have to be fully vaccinated as long as you meet their criteria. However, if you only provide a negative COVID-19 test but not a certification that you’ve been either vaccinated or previously infected, you’ll be required to quarantine for 5-6 days.
Croatia: as of April 1, 2021
Croatia’s borders have been open to American tourists since the beginning of April. Here’s what you need to know before planning a trip to Croatia in 2021. To travel to Croatia, you must:
Provide proof that you’re fully vaccinated, orProvide proof that you’ve recovered from the COVID infection within the past 11 to 180 days, orTake a PCR COVID-19 test no more than 48 hours old upon arrival, orTake a COVID-19 test on arrival
Extra steps: Complete an official entry form and provide proof that you’ve paid for your accommodation in full in advance. And, if you’re unvaccinated and staying more than 10 days, you’ll need to take another test before the 10th day is up to stay eligible. Do you have to be vaccinated to travel to Croatia? No, you do not have to be fully vaccinated as long as you meet one of their other three criteria.
United Kingdom: as of May 17, 2021
The U.K.—comprising of Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—has opened its borders to U.S. travelers (Northern Ireland opened a week later on May 24, 2021, and has a steeper set of rules). Here’s what you need to know. To travel to the U.K., you must:
Have a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours prior to departure
Extra steps: You’ll need to complete a passenger locator form upon entry. Also, if visiting Northern Ireland, you’ll have to do a mandatory 14-day quarantine, regardless of your vaccination status. Do you have to be vaccinated to travel to the U.K.? No, you do not have to be fully vaccinated as long as you meet their entry criteria.
Spain: starting June 7, 2021
Spain will soon be opening its borders to fully vaccinated Americans. But if you haven’t been fully vaccinated, even a negative COVID-19 test won’t grant you access at this time. To travel to Spain, you must:
Provide proof that you’re fully vaccinated
Do you have to be vaccinated to travel to Spain? Yes, you cannot go to Spain unless you’re fully vaccinated, even if you present a negative COVID-19 test.
France: starting June 9, 2021
France has stated that it expects to be open to fully vaccinated Americans by June 9th. France also plans to change its curfew laws that same day, pushing the COVID curfew back to 11 P.M. before lifting it completely on June 30th. To travel to France, you must:
Provide proof that you’re fully vaccinated
Do you have to be vaccinated to travel to France? Yes, you cannot go to France unless you’re fully vaccinated, even if you present a negative COVID-19 test.
What to expect if you visit Europe in 2021
While some countries are now allowing Americans to visit, don’t expect things to be back to normal just yet. “Many attractions will be operating under reduced capacity restrictions,” Dennis says, and “There may be curfews for restaurants, bars and pubs.” Another sad truth: “Many local hotels, restaurants, bars, pubs and shops may not have survived the long shutdown and will not be reopening,” Dennis says. Before you go, visit the website of each main attraction you’re hoping to experience to confirm the details and/or make reservations, since capacity will likely be limited.
Is it safe for Americans to visit the EU?
Even though there are plenty of spots in the EU that Americans are allowed to visit currently, doctors say it’s hard to project when exactly it will be considered truly “safe” to travel overseas. “It is difficult to tell and would be dependent on numbers of COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates,” explains Dr. Katherine Baumgarten, medical director of infection control and prevention at Ochsner Health in New Orleans, LA. “If the vaccination rates improve and COVID-19 cases drop, then travel will be safer.” However, even with more and more Americans getting vaccinated, she notes that new strains and “Variants [of COVID-19] could play a role in this as well, depending on whether we see more circulating and whether more develop.”
Tips on how to travel to the EU safely
If you’ve been itching to go to Europe, but the only thing holding you back is wondering how you can travel there safely, you’re not alone. “Europe is by far the most popular destination travelers really want to go [right now],” says Christine Petersen, CEO of smarTours, a travel agency specializing in bucket-list destinations. “We recently surveyed our travel panel of more than 625 travelers, and more than 40% reported Europe is where they really want to travel next—by far the most popular destination among the polled travelers.” Henry Dennis, a travel sales specialist at AAA in Charlotte, NC, says even though interest in overseas travel is slowly growing, safety concerns are keeping most people at home. “People are starting to inquire, but it seems like some are still hesitant until they actually see a firm reopen date from the EU,” he says. “The individual countries that have either reopened already (Iceland, Greece and Italy in particular) or have announced specific dates (France (6/9) and Spain (6/7)) are seeing more interest—especially in the past 3-4 weeks.” While there’s still risk involved, experts say if you want to go to Europe now, there are plenty of things you can do to make it a safer experience.
- Get fully vaccinated. “The most important consideration is to be fully vaccinated prior to travel,” says Baumgarten. “We know the vaccines prevent COVID-19symptoms and serious disease for most and vaccination is the best protection to prevent COVID-19 disease. However, other measures still should be used as well, such as masking, social distancing and hand sanitizing/hand washing.”
- Consider your personal situation. Before planning to travel to Europe, Dr. Baumgarten says it’s important to be frank with yourself about your personal situation and health. “For instance, if they have particular medical conditions that place them at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19, it may be better not to travel,” she says.
- Pick your destination wisely. “When picking a European country to visit, the most important thing to consider is if what you want to do is open,” Peterson says. “Just because a destination is open doesn’t mean all the attractions are,” Peterson says, which could lead to a disappointing experience. “For example, it’s great that France is opening, but what do you want to do there?” Dr. Baumgarten says choosing your destination wisely can make travel a bit safer, too: “Some countries may have different requirements for those visiting, and specific to the destination is the number of people vaccinated in the country and the numbers or cases they are having.” She suggests asking yourself questions, such as, “Are there reliable mitigation and safety measures in place and good healthcare?”
- Know how you are getting to your destination. “Places you are connecting might have different testing requirements,” Petersen says. So if you don’t know what to expect, you could run into trouble. “For example, when recently planning a trip to Anguilla, I realized that I needed to connect through Sint Maarten (only the Dutch side was open) and that island had different testing requirements.”
- Buy travel health insurance. If you don’t usually spring for health insurance when booking a trip, you should consider it if you’re traveling to the EU in 2021. Dr. Baumgarten says it’s smart to “consider health insurance coverage and/or a healthcare plan while away, in case there is a health problem or emergency health situation.”
- Prepare for what if… “COVID-19 has not yet disappeared—you need to be prepared in case you get sick,” Petersen says. For example, “Do you know where you’d go in case you were ill? If you are traveling with a tour operator, request a list of local hospitals and health care facilities in each destination you are visiting before you depart.” And if you’re making your own arrangements, do some research before you go and make a list to bring with you—just in case.
- Know the re-entry requirements for the U.S. “All travelers boarding a flight back to the U.S. must produce a negative COVID test taken with 72 hours of the flight taking off,” Petersen reminds us. “The only exception is if you have a documented case of having COVID and have antibodies within the last three months.” So plan accordingly and incorporate your required COVID testing into your travel plans. Check out…60+ Countries Open to AmericansPost-Pandemic Travel Do’s & Don’ts50 Best Road TripsCOVID-Safe Family Vacation Ideas for 2021When Will Cruises Resume in 2021?
