Regardless of vaccination status, the European Union is now accessible for Americans meeting specific criteria.
What We Know:
- While the 27 nations of the European Union are generally urged to coordinate regulations, each EU government ultimately abides by its own border discretion. Factors influencing admittance include willingness to take a rapid COVID test upon arrival, quarantining before or upon arrival, and nationality. Some nations put zero weight on these factors while others utilize a combination. The discrepancies between nations strain mobility between them, an outcome the European Commission warns against.
- Eduardo Santander, executive director for the European Travel Commission, stated, “It’s probably a couple of weeks until there is certainty about all the little things a traveler has to take into account before coming to Europe, and in particular, the issue of mobility within the European Union” if governments don’t coordinate border regulations.
- Reciprocity is not granted yet by the United States. The present travel ban against Europeans entering the country creates tension between the US and certain European nations. The Biden Administration, however, expressed the prioritization of reintroducing international travel.
- The lack of reciprocity impacts American travelers as well. In order for flights to resume, airlines need people going in both directions. The airline industry is another sector severely damaged by COVID-19 limitations.
- The EU is working to change poor COVID-handling stigmas. One stigma is slow vaccination, which induces safety concerns for US legislators considering reopening the borders. As reassurance, the EU is enacting certain safety practices, such as EU Digital COVID Certificates disclosing testing and vaccination statuses.
- Tourism is a large source of revenue for the EU, with 10 percent of overall GDP attributed to tourists. 700 million people visit Europe annually, including 18 million Americans, amounting to 2,191 billion USD worth of tourism dollars in 2019. This number was cut nearly in half during 2020, deteriorating the European tourism sector.
The opening of the EU poses both hope and confusion for travelers on all sides of the globe. In the coming weeks, nation expectations are projected to clarify.
