Air Travel

E.U. Removes U.S. from ‘Safe Travel’ List—What That Means for Travelers

Two months after it green lit Americans for travel, the European Union has reverted its recommendation amid rising coronavirus cases.
A woman runs under the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel by the Louvre museum pyramid in the morning haze at dawn in Paris on...
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As summer comes to a close, travelers planning a fall trip to Europe might want to make other plans. Two months after the E.U. green lit vaccinated and tested Americans for travel, the Council of the European Union is once again recommending that its member nations restrict non-essential travel from the United States. 

The non-binding stance will allow individual nations to manage their own borders and travel restrictions, however, which could make for a patchwork of travel bans and entry requirements across Europe. For example, Greece announced it would reopen to foreign tourists, including U.S. citizens who have proof of a negative test or COVID-19 vaccination, in May, before the Council designated Americans as ‘safe’ travelers in June. 

“The Council recommendation is not a legally binding instrument,” the Council said in its announcement. “The authorities of the member states remain responsible for implementing the content of the recommendation.”

The change, issued on Monday, comes amid rising daily coronavirus cases in the U.S. The European Council has said that the criteria for a nation to be considered ‘safe’ is that there are “not more than 75 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the previous 14 days,” along with other testing and positive-case-rate standards, and “overall response to COVID-19.” 

The non-binding guidance “is without prejudice to the possibility for member states to lift the temporary restriction on non-essential travel to the EU for fully vaccinated travellers,” the Council said in a statement. “As stipulated in the Council recommendation, this list will continue to be reviewed regularly” and may be updated. 

It's also worth noting that, following the E.U. Council's June recommendation to allow non-essential travel for Americans, the Biden administration did not reciprocate the lifting of travel restrictions, and instead maintained a non-essential travel ban on non-American travelers from Europe.

Other destinations also removed from the ‘safe’ list as the bloc's busy summer season closes include Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, and the Republic of North Macedonia. Schengen zone countries like Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland also fall under the council's recommendation. 

As part of the tourism reopening that began in June, E.U. member states may halt international travel at any time via an “emergency brake” established by European leaders. E.U. nations may rely on a digital health called a Green Certificate, which confirms COVID-19 vaccination, test, and/or recovery in both paper and digital formats via QR code, or create their own health requirements. 

France, for example, is currently requiring proof of vaccination for indoor activities like dining, and only reopened to vaccinated international visitors, whereas other nations are allowing entry of unvaccinated travelers with a negative test. Following the E.U. Council recommendation, the nations may now reconsider those terms.