EU Countries to Permit Entry for Vaccinated Americans in Summer 2021
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has revealed that fully vaccinated US travellers will be able to visit the European Union this summer after more than one year of the ban on non-essential travel.
Travel between the United States and Europe has been banned since March 2020, when the EU leaders agreed to enforce travel restrictions for foreigners in a bid to contain the spread of the COVID-19, AtoZSerwisPlus.pl reports.
According to the head of the EU Commission, the accelerated rate of vaccination in the United States and the talks between the authorities of the US and EU regarding the mutual acceptance of vaccine certificates will allow the Commission and the EU to make adjustments in the existing policy and restore trans-Atlantic leisure travel.
“The Americans, as far as I can see, use European Medicines Agency-approved vaccines. This will enable free movement and the travel to the European Union,” President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said.
It is clear that the Member States will allow entry to those vaccinated with vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, von der Leyen added. Moreover, the drug regulator of the bloc has approved all three vaccines that are being used in the US, concretely Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson.
Von der Leyen did not mention exactly when the bloc will be officially opened for US tourists, but other European leaders have noted that the goal is for the bloc to be opened just in time for this summer.
European diplomats, especially the ones from tourist destination countries, led by Greece, have insisted that the criteria of the bloc to determine whether a country is safe based on the low number of Coronavirus cases prevailing in them is becoming irrelevant following the vaccination campaigns’ progress in the US, UK, and other countries.
Furthermore, officials believe that the vaccine certificates issued by foreign governments would be accepted in the EU and US to make summer travel safer and easier.
The European Union has started the process of preparing to issue digital green certificates for its citizens, which will be able to use the document to travel within the 27-nation bloc without any restrictions. Thus, the resumption of tourism in Europe would bring a much-needed financial boost for countries, the GDP of which is largely supported by the travel and tourism sector.
Von der Leyen’s announcement follows France’s recent unfolding of its plans to open for vaccinated US citizens by summer.
“We are working hard to propose a very concrete solution, especially for US citizens who are vaccinated,” French President Emanuel Macron said.
Similarly, Iceland and Greece relaxed the border restrictions for vaccinated US citizens earlier in April and were followed by other countries as well, including Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, and Montenegro.
Currently, the US has a ban in place for travellers of the EU Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. US citizens and permanent residents are exempt from the measures.
On the other hand, non-essential travel to the EU continues to be banned, except for Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand citizens.
