EU Members Agree to Open Their Country to Vaccinated Foreign Travelers

EU Members Agree to Open Their Country to Vaccinated Foreign Travelers

Last May 20, officials of European Union countries convened in Brussels, and all agreed to welcome vaccinated foreign travelers in their respective countries.

 

Vaccinated individuals already inoculated with the last recommended dose within at least 14 days, prior to arriving in a European Union country, will be permitted to enter. News of the decision was received warmly buy the flailing tourism industry of EU member nations. Countries with a highly vaccinated population like Israel and the US also welcomed the news as they are also likely to benefit from the union’s decision.

Still, it remains unclear on how EU member nations will accept incoming foreign travelers in the future. The European Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen, has not yet provided any details on when or how EU countries open up for tourist travel. Her statements only acknowledged that the present travel restrictions will soon change but largely dependent on vaccination certificates. Vaccines that are approved include AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna.

Technical Discussions on Proof of Vaccinations Still Ongoing

The European Union and US authorities are in the talks on making COVID-19 vaccination certificates as an acceptable proof of immunity for foreign travelers. This will allow the European Commission to put forward a modification in the policy that aims to restore trans-Atlantic leisure travels.

Technical issues being discussed by both the US officials and the EU, include how the vaccine certificates will be made. They are taking in mind that these certificates must be readable in any place so that travelers can freely use them without any restrictions or issues.

According to EU Commission officials based in Brussels, the discussions are still ongoing and that the possible will likely be low-tech. For instance, a tourist arriving in Europe can obtain an E.U. vaccine-certificate equivalent by presenting an authenticated certificate issued by his or her government.

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