In light of Covid-19, one has to consider many regulations when planning to travel. During the world wide pandemic, every country and continent has rules in place regarding who can enter and under what conditions.
However, if you want to travel to the EU, the first thing you will need to ask yourself is, can I travel from my country to a Schengen/EU country? Is my country on the list of countries that are not affected by EU travel restrictions?
A new order on travel restrictions for the EU until March 31st 2021
The Official State Gazette (BOE) has published Order INT/294/2021, of 26 March 2021, extending Order INT/657/2020, of 17 July 2020, which modifies the criteria for the application of a temporary restriction on non-essential travel from third countries to the European Union and associated Schengen countries for reasons of public order and public health due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19, and repeals Order INT/1236/2020, of December 22nd 2020, which introduced the criteria for temporal restriction of terrestrial access of the Schengen space by check points at the border with Gibraltar for reasons of public order and public health due to the health crisis caused by COVID-19. The first order will take effect until 24:00 hours on 30 April 2021 and the second order will be rendered ineffective at 6pm on March 30th 2021 (Spain mainland time).
UPDATE until 30.04.2021 – Restrictions of Non-Essential Travel into the EU prolonged!
People who can enter regardless of their country of origin
Any person who is a national of a third country will be refused entry on grounds of public order or public health, unless they belong to one of the following categories:
- Regular residents of the European Union, Schengen associated States, Andorra, Monaco, the Vatican or San Marino who are going to that country, with documented proof.
- Holders of a long-term visa issued by a Member State or Schengen associated State, who are going to that country.
- Health professionals, including health researchers, and elderly care professionals going to or returning from work.
- Transport personnel, sailors and the aviation personnel necessary to carry out air transport activities.
- Diplomatic, consular, international organisation, military, civil protection and humanitarian organisation personnel, while exercising their duties.
- Students who are studying in the Member States or Schengen Associated States and who have the corresponding permit or visa and medical insurance, provided that they are going to the country where they are studying, and that the entry takes place during the academic year or within the 15 days prior to it.
- Highly qualified workers whose work is necessary and cannot be postponed or carried out at a distance, including participants in high-level sports events taking place in Spain. These circumstances must be justified by providing documentation.
- Persons travelling for imperative family reasons, duly accredited.
- Persons who provide documented proof of force majeure or a situation of need, or whose entry is permitted for humanitarian reasons.
- Residents in the third countries listed in the Annex provided that they come directly from one of these countries, have transited exclusively through other countries included in the list or have made only international transits at airports located in countries not listed. For residents of China, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Macao SAR, reciprocity remains to be verified.
What’s new?
Border controls on Spain-Gibraltar border will stop on March 31st 6pm.
The list of countries exempt from restrictions
The order contains a list of third countries (non-EU or Schengen countries) whose residents are exempt from the travel restrictions to the European Union, as well as a set of specific categories of persons also exempt from those restrictions, regardless of their place of origin. This Recommendation has been amended several times to adapt the list of third countries to the epidemiological circumstances.
The latest version of the order lists the following countries and special administrative regions whose residents are not affected by the temporary restriction of non-essential travel to the EU across external borders:
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. Ruanda
4. Singapore
5. South Korea
6. Thailand
7. China
8. Hong Kong SAR
9. Macao SAR
Note that this list refers to the countries that are not subject to travel restrictions. This does not mean that there are no conditions such as quarantines or obligatory testing in place.
