06/10/2021 12:01 PM
Clarín.com
World
Updated 06/10/2021 12:01
Europe is opening up to Americans and foreign travelers after more than a year of COVID-19 restrictions, in hopes of drawing tourists _ and their dollars _ back to the continent's trattoria, landscapes and cultural treasures. .
But they will have to
be patient
to find out who can enter which country, how and when.
As the doors of the European Union are reopened one by one to the outside world
for the first time since March 2020
, tourists will discover a mosaic of systems rather than a single, borderless leisure zone as the governments of the member states have resisted giving up control of their borders during the pandemic.
Britain is on
its own course
after Brexit.
But the welcoming atmosphere is not always reciprocal: the borders of the United States, for example, remain mostly
closed to foreigners.
Visitors at the "Grand Palais Ephemere", in Paris.
Photo: AFP
Here's a look at the current entry regulations for some
of Europe's most popular
tourist destinations
.
One word of caution: Although these are the rules dictated by governments, travelers can run into setbacks when airlines and rail companies try to understand them.
France
If you are vaccinated, welcome to France.
But
only if you received one of the four EU-approved vaccines
_ Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-University of Oxford, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson.
This is true for Americans, as long as they can present
an official proof
that they are immunized, but not for other parts of the world, such as China and Russia, where other drugs are administered.
France's borders officially reopened on Wednesday.
Vaccinated visitors, both from outside Europe and from
a handful of 'green' countries
, will still need to present a negative PCR test performed no more than 72 hours prior, or a negative antigen test no more than 48 hours before.
Non-immunized minors may enter with adults
who are
, but those over 11 years old will have to have a negative test.
To enter France you must be vaccinated with one of the 4 vaccines approved by the EU.
Photo: AP
The country
bans the entry of tourists from 16 countries
that are fighting large outbreaks and worrisome variants, included in a red list where they are India, South Africa and Brazil.
Unvaccinated people from
"orange list"
countries
, such as the United States and Great Britain,
cannot travel for tourism
and can only enter for specific and imperative reasons.
Italy
Americans, the second largest group of foreign tourists the country receives, can travel from mid-May.
But they must
quarantine for 10 days
upon arrival unless they are part of one of the so-called
"anti-COVID flights."
On these flights, passengers pass a test before and after flying and must fill out documents about their whereabouts to facilitate tracking if necessary.
These flights from the United States began in December, and in May they were extended to
Canada, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.
Queues in Piazza San Marco, in Venice.
Photo: Reuters
Italy also started receiving
British and Israeli tourists
last month, who no longer need an "essential" reason to enter and should not be confined as long as they present a negative COVID-19 test taken up to 48 hours before arrival.
This rule also applies to travelers from EU countries and to those on flights where virus detection tests are carried out.
Greece
Greece, whose economy is heavily reliant on tourism, began welcoming Americans in April and already allows entries from China, Britain and 20 other nations for non-essential travel.
Greece, whose economy is heavily dependent on tourism, began welcoming Americans in April.
Photo: AFP
Everyone must show a
vaccination certificate or a negative PCR
and fill out a locator form detailing their plans in Greece.
This directive expires on June 14, but could be extended.
Athens has long pushed for the EU to adopt
a common approach
, but did not wait for it to materialize.
Since June 1, Greece, Germany and five other community partners use
a COVID certificate for travelers
, weeks before the program that will begin on July 1 in the 27 member nations.
Spain
Spain began its summer tourism campaign on Monday by receiving vaccinated visitors from the United States and much of the world, as well as Europeans who can demonstrate that they are not infected.
Americans and most non-Europeans need an
official vaccination certificate
issued by a health authority, and
in English
.
Spain accepts those inoculated with the four vaccines approved by the EU, in addition to the
two Chinese ones
authorized by the World Health Organization, as long as they complete the vaccination at least two weeks before traveling.
Spain requires an official vaccination certificate issued by a health authority, and in English.
Photo: AFP
Arrivals from Brazil, South Africa and India
are currently suspended
due to the high rate of infections there, and unvaccinated Americans and many other non-EU citizens will not be able to spend their holidays in Spain yet.
But there are exceptions for countries considered low risk, such as Great Britain, whose residents
no longer need any
health
documents
.
Community citizens must present proof of vaccination, a certificate showing that they recently passed COVID-19, or a negative antigen or PCR test performed less than 48 hours before arriving in the country.
Britain
There are currently very few American tourists in Britain, if any.
London introduced
a color system
, like those of a traffic light, that assesses risk by country, and the United States is, as in many other European nations, on
the "amber" list
, which means that all who arrive coming from there, they must isolate themselves at home or in the place where they are staying for 10 days.
British and American airlines and airport operators are pushing to open a corridor to allow tourism to resume, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to address the issue in his meeting with Joe Biden
at
this week's
G7 summit.
In England.
London pubs, reberitos.
Photo: AP
Furthermore, anyone traveling between Britain and mainland Europe should know that in addition to the isolation requirements for those leaving or entering British soil, growing concern about the delta variant of the virus has led many other nations to impose restrictions. special for them.
European Union
The bloc does not have a unified border or tourism policy against COVID, but it
has been working on
a digital travel certificate for
months
set for those vaccinated, those who have passed a recent screening test or have recently overcome the disease.
MEPs approved the initiative on Wednesday.
This free certificate, which will contain
a QR code
with advanced security functions, will allow travel between the nations of the bloc without the need to pass quarantines or additional coronavirus tests upon arrival.
Several EU countries
have already started using the system,
including Spain, Germany, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Poland.
The rest are expected to start applying it
on July 1.
It is intended primarily for
European citizens,
but Americans and elsewhere will be able to obtain it if they can convince the authorities of the nation they arrive in
that they meet the requirements
.
Associated Press journalists across Europe contributed to this report.
ap
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