Travel to safe countries possible, but remains a risk

Note, this is a news report from May 11, 2021. Read current information about traveling abroad on Nederlandwereldwijd.nl.

Currently, few countries qualify for a green or yellow travel advice as of May 15. The cabinet hopes that more countries will be considered safe leading up to the summer, making a vacation abroad a real option this summer. However, the cabinet points out that countries with a green or yellow travel advice can decide to impose travel restrictions for travelers from the Netherlands, such as a corona test or quarantine requirement upon arrival.

The fact that the group of vaccinated people across Europe is growing is encouraging and will result in lower infection levels. However, the situation around the coronavirus with possible variants remains uncertain, making it difficult to predict how the summer months will look.

The cabinet emphasizes that even where vacation travel is no longer discouraged, a vacation or trip is not the same as before the pandemic. Travel remains a risk because the situation in each country can change quickly, for example if the coronavirus flares up somewhere.

Most countries have corona measures in place, and tourists must also comply with them. The cabinet urges holidaymakers to observe at least the basic Dutch measures abroad: wash hands regularly, keep 1.5 meters distance, stay indoors if you have symptoms and get tested. Follow corona measures while traveling, at your holiday destination, and upon return, even if you are vaccinated. Moreover, travelers from green and yellow countries or regions are welcome back in the Netherlands from May 15.

The cabinet advises Dutch people with travel plans to check the travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs beforehand to determine if the destination country is safe and whether entry restrictions apply, such as quarantine or testing requirements. The travel advices can be found on the website wijsopreis.nl and in the ministrys travel app.

The cabinet emphasizes the importance of consulting the travel advice not only when booking a trip but also shortly before departure, during the trip, and upon return. The situation in a country or region can change quickly. It is also important that travelers check which measures apply en route, such as at airports, stations, or countries they pass through by car on the way to their destination. Download the travel app at www.wijsopreis.nl and receive automatic notifications when the travel advice changes.

The RIVM assesses which countries pose an increased risk. The RIVM looks at various factors, including infection rates, number of tests conducted, percentage of positive tests, number of travelers testing positive in the Netherlands who recently visited a particular country, and trends in incidence rates (how often corona occurs). The RIVM also considers the presence of variants and mutations.

Countries or areas designated by the RIVM as high-risk have an orange color code in the travel advice. Travelers from high-risk countries must show a negative test result upon return to the Netherlands and are strongly advised to quarantine for 10 days. After 5 days, quarantine can end with a negative test.

For people coming from a very high-risk area, a 10-day quarantine will soon be mandatory. The timing depends on when the law enabling this comes into effect, which is expected soon.

A country or area can also have an orange color for safety reasons unrelated to corona. A country marked red in the travel advice is very unsafe, and all travel to this country is discouraged. Information about the color codes can be found in the travel advice.

Vaccination ultimately helps us out of the pandemic and gradually restores freedoms, including travel. In the EU, decision-making is underway for the Digital Green Certificate, which allows people to prove they are vaccinated, recently tested negative for Covid-19, or have immunity after a recent infection.

June 21 is the European Commissions target date for the legislation governing the Digital Green Certificate to come into effect. Member states will likely have six weeks afterward to prepare technically. The Netherlands aims to be technically ready as soon as possible and strives to keep this transition period as short as possible.