While the Netherlands is changing their travel advice and relaxing travel restrictions, countries such as Germany and the US are tightening them.
Yesterday, the Dutch cabinet announced that it would change the colour coding system which indicates the coronavirus risk in each country. On August 8, new rules will apply for returning to the Netherlands, reports the NOS.
Travel advice from the Dutch government
From today, all EU countries will be categorised as yellow or green risk, according to the Dutch government. A yellow colour code means that travel is allowed but to be aware of risks. Countries like Spain and Portugal, which are red on the European map, will become yellow according to Dutch travel advice.
A country will only be labelled orange if there is an outbreak of a new, dangerous coronavirus variant.
This means that from now on, travel advice is just that — advice — as changing the risk level from orange to yellow means that there are no countries where you can “only travel when necessary.”
This advice differs from that of the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), where the Netherlands is still categorised as dark red (high risk).
What will change in August?
As some rules are relaxed, there are some tighter restrictions on the horizon. For now, those returning to the Netherlands from countries that are labelled orange have to provide a coronavirus certificate. From August 8, this will also apply to those returning from yellow countries.
READ MORE | Where can I holiday? Current travel advice from the Netherlands
Anyone who has not been fully vaccinated will have to complete a PCR test or antigen test before arriving in the Netherlands. The government also advises that travellers complete two PCR tests after returning to the country: on days two and five of your return. This last piece of advice is not mandatory.
Germany labels us high-risk
While the Netherlands is opening up travel possibilities, other countries have their own say on the matter. As of today, Germany categorises the Netherlands as a high-risk country.
This means that travellers arriving in Germany from the Netherlands will have to quarantine for ten days. The exceptions to this are if you have been fully vaccinated, if you have recovered from coronavirus, or if you have driven through a high-risk country without stopping.
US won’t relax travel restrictions
Looking further afield, other countries are also remaining cautious. The US has chosen not to relax any current restrictions as it’s concerned about the spread of the Delta variant.
As it stands, travellers from the EU, the UK, Brazil, China, Iran, and South Africa aren’t able to cross US borders, reports RTL Nieuws. There are some exceptions for US citizens returning to the country.
What do you think about the change in travel advice? Is the Netherlands out of sync with other countries? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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