No coronavirus certificate? Checks in foreign airports not watertight

Since Sunday travel advice has changed. More travellers returning to the Netherlands from their holidays are now expected to show proof of vaccination or a negative test certificate. However, spot checks at Eindhoven Airport found that some people got through foreign airports without sufficient evidence.

The NOS reports that as of this weekend, travellers must show a coronavirus certificate when returning from a number of popular holiday destinations. This is extended to countries that are colour coded “yellow”, such as France, Greece, and Spain.

Random spot checks in Dutch airports

Random checks are carried out at the gates by the Security Regions at various Dutch airports.

Lax checking in foreign airports

In recent months, up to 5% of the travellers at Eindhoven Airport have been unable to show the necessary documentation. This means that airline desks at airports in other countries have allowed passengers onboard without proof of vaccination or a negative test — these passengers shouldn’t have been allowed to board.

Despite this, the percentage of passengers travelling without coronavirus certificates has decreased recently.

Which airlines are these?

Through its own investigation, NOS Nieuwsuur has established that the airline Transavia didn’t carry out checks on at least two flights from Spain last week.

Transavia responded that all of their employees at foreign airports have been trained and reminded about the procedures. They asserted that cases like this will be picked up and dealt with immediately.

What are your thoughts on this situation? Tell us in the comments below!

Feature Image: elenathewise/Depositphotos

Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
Jen Lorimer 🇿🇼
An avid tea drinker, Jen was born and raised in Zimbabwe. She moved to Utrecht in 2017 to pursue her history degree. She loves people-watching, canoeing the Utrecht canals, and observing how the Dutch come alive in summer. Having been traumatised by a Dutch circle party, Jen wants to help equip other internationals with tips and tricks to survive and thrive in this wonderful flat country.

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related posts

Latest posts

Zwarte Piet: the full guide to the Netherlands’ most controversial tradition

Many in the Netherlands view Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) as an innocent addition to the Dutch holiday season. But for others, the figure is...

Snow in November? Meteorologists predict an ‘interesting weather day’ next week

Imagine a Russian roulette where the bullets are the following: wind, snow, wind, snow, wind, snow — that pretty much sums up next Tuesday's...

When does Sinterklaas arrive in the Netherlands? The 2024 city guide

There’s one thing for sure: you do not want to miss Sinterklaas’s arrival to the Netherlands as an international. These are some of the...

It's happening

Upcoming events

The latest Dutch news.
In your inbox.