Latest update on COVID-19 travel restrictions to Schengen area for late-October 2021

As COVID-19 continues to dominate the international travel landscape, vaccinated travellers continue to face fewer/reduced restrictions—regardless of what country they are arriving from. However, Schengen area entry restrictions remain in place (for example, Estonia recently announced that four EU countries had been added to its Red List. Today’s blog therefore presents an overview of the travel restrictions to the Schengen area for October. 

Travel restrictions to the Schengen area for October

• As European travel during the coronavirus pandemic continues, restrictions remain in place for arrivals to the Schengen area. Many travellers remain confused about travel restrictions to Schengen area for October (for example, there is ongoing confusion as to which countries are open to Americans). If you are traveling to the zone, it is important to look at the specific restrictions in place in the specific country you intend to visit. At the moment, non-essential travel is generally allowed for vaccinated individuals from third-countries who have proof of being vaccinated and follow the other COVID-19 health and safety rules in place. 
• On the whole, therefore, travel during the coronavirus pandemic continues to be easier for vaccinated travellers (those who have received a vaccine approved for entry to the Schengen area). For example, vaccinated travelers from any country can enter France, whereas unvaccinated travelers can only enter France if they are arriving from a “Green” country (those arriving from Red/Orange countries can only travel for essential reasons). 
• Accepted vaccines currently include Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca—among others. To know if you have received a vaccine approved for you to enter the Schengen area, contact us here.
• However, even if you have been vaccinated, depending on what country you are arriving from, you will still likely be subject to certain restrictions, such as the requirement to fill out a form, and to submit to preflight and post arrival COVID testing. 
• It’s important to remember that, while the Schengen zone has a general policy on travel, and can add or remove countries from its White List, Schengen area entry restrictions are country-specific. Individual Schengen states can therefore choose to apply the general Schengen area recommendations as they see fit. For example, recently Estonia announced that four EU countries had been added to its Red List. France, for example, might have different entry restrictions than Spain (one Schengen state might remove certain countries from its White List), while another Schengen state could decide to keep those same countries on the list. 

Latest news

• The European council continues to maintain a list of countries that it recommends the individual Schengen countries remove travel restrictions from (a list which tends to be updated every 14 days). This list was most recently updated on October 28^th, and includes the following new additions: Argentina, Colombia, Namibia, and Peru.  
• Finally, keep in mind that countries are constantly evaluating their COVID-19 entry procedures, meaning that every day, there could be a new list of countries considered as high-risk areas. For the most up to date information on Schengen-area entry requirements (for example, to know which countries are open to Americans at the moment), please contact us here.