Last Saturday, September 17, the Netherlands lifted the last of its COVID-related requirements for international travelers and lifted the EU travel ban that had been in place until then.
“In view of the current epidemiological situation in the Netherlands, the government believes that the EU travel ban for entering the Netherlands is no longer proportionate,” read the announcement by the Dutch government last Friday.
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Most of the country’s travel restrictions were lifted in late February after the capital, Amsterdam, emerged from its third lockdown during the pandemic, but the provisions of the EU travel ban were kept in place.
Under the country’s previous policy, travelers coming from outside the EU and Schengen area (so-called “third countries”) had to present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or a valid certificate of recovery to enter the Netherlands be able .
Meanwhile, travelers from the EU or the wider European Economic Area (EEA) have been able to enter the Netherlands without restrictions for some time, regardless of their vaccination, recovery or testing status.
There were exceptions for those arriving from countries deemed “safe”, including Bahrain, Chile, Colombia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kuwait, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay, according to CNN.
According to SchengenVisaNews, visitors’ vaccination certificates previously had to meet several criteria, including the vaccine types being among those approved by the European Medicines Agency or the World Health Organization and having been administered within the last nine months.
Announcing the lifting of the Netherlands’ final entry restrictions, Dutch authorities also noted that the EU managing authority also plans to propose an overhaul of the rules for travelers entering its member states. sometime this fall.
“The European Commission also plans to publish a proposal to revise the rules for entry into the European Union (EU) in autumn 2022,” the statement said.
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