COVID-19: European Travel Guide

The coronavirus pandemic caused many countries to introduce social distancing measures and self-isolation guidelines. At the start of the pandemic many countries around the world introduced travel bans and restrictions. Now we’re seeing travel restrictions being lifted. In this blog we cover where you can and can’t travel within Europe during COVID-19.

Austria

Travelers from the following countries can enter or leave Austria without restrictions: Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Vatican, and Cyprus. 

Belgium

Borders are open for travel to and from the EU, including the UK and the four Schengen countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway). Non-essential travel outside of the EU is prohibited until 1 July.

Bulgaria

When travelling to Bulgaria there are no limitations for those coming from Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City.

Those arriving from Belgium, Portugal and Sweden, as well as from the UK, are subject to 14 days of quarantine.

Croatia

Borders are open to all EU member states and for the Schengen area countries with no quarantine. 

Cyprus

Cyprus has different protocols for entry depending on the country of origin.

Currently the following destinations can fly into Cyprus with no restrictions: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, and South Korea.  

Individuals wishing to arrive from the following countries must have passed a COVID-19 test 72 hours in advance of departure: Belgium, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Jordan, Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Romania, UAE.

Travel from other countries is allowed for exceptional circumstances and only after receiving prior approval by the Cyprus government. A 14-day mandatory quarantine must also be observed.

Czech Republic

Czech Republic has a system of entry requirements with different rules for entry from three categories of countries; high, medium and low risk.

Those from low risk countries are allowed to enter for any reason and currently include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. 

The United Kingdom is currently the only medium risk country and entry is permitted without the need for quarantine only for Czech citizens and permanent residents of the Czech Republic.

Entry may be permitted from medium risk countries for the following reasons: business, visiting family members and studying at university. A negative test result conducted within the last 4 days must be provided or a 14-day self-isolation period must be observed.

Portugal and Sweden are listed as high-risk countries and entry is only permitted for Czech citizens and permanent residents of the Czech Republic, a negative test or quarantine upon return must be completed. 

Denmark

Borders are closed for non-Danish citizens who do not reside in Denmark or do not have a valid reason to enter the country.

Residents in Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland or Iceland, can enter Denmark to stay at a summerhouse. Documentation proving ownership of a summerhouse must be provided. 

Residents in Germany, Norway, or Iceland can enter for a holiday stay of at least six nights outside the cities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg.

The country is expected to open further on 27 June.

Estonia

Entry only permitted from countries with less than 25 COVID cases per 100,000 people in the last 14 days.

From 1 June, Estonia started to admit people with no symptoms arriving from the EU, Schengen area or the United Kingdom. Two weeks quarantine applies to those coming from countries with an infection rate of more than 15 per 100,000 people. 

Finland

Arrivals to Finland are permitted with no restrictions from the following: Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Arrivals from elsewhere must have a valid reason for travel, such as returning home, and should observe self-isolation for 14-days. 

France

All arrivals to France permitted from the EU, Schengen area and the UK. No mandatory quarantine.

Voluntary quarantine for those arriving from the UK.

Symptomatic travellers during border checks are subject to quarantine regardless of their nationality.  

Germany

All arrivals to Germany from the EU and Schengen area are permitted. For travellers arriving from a country deemed as high risk a 14-day quarantine must be observed.

Arrivals from outside the EU or so called “third-country” nationals are not permitted until at least 30 June. 

Greece

Greece follows the EU’s recommendation for all non-essential travel from outside of the European Union to be banned until June 30. No flights are allowed from the UK. Flights from all other member states of the EU are permitted.

Arrivals into Athens airport from destinations such as Italy, Spain, Netherlands or Sweden must comply with testing and an overnight stay is required. A negative test will allow visitors to move onto their final destination while a positive test will require a supervised quarantine period of 14 days. 

All visitors into Thessaloniki airport are tested upon arrival until June 30.

Hungary

All citizens from EU countries or from Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein may enter Hungary without restrictions.

Entry from UK citizens is granted with prior permission and after individual assessment individuals may have to observe a mandatory quarantine period of two weeks. Hungarian citizens returning from the UK can enter with no restrictions.

Ireland

All non-essential overseas travel to and from Ireland should be avoided.

Passengers arriving from overseas are expected to self-isolate for 14 days and are legally required to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form.

Italy

Non-restrictive entry to Italy permitted from Member States of the European Union, the Schengen area, the UK, Andorra, Monaco, Vatican City State and the Republic of San Marino.

All other passengers are only permitted entry for essential reasons and must observe a 14-day quarantine.

Latvia

Citizens of, or those who have been in Lithuania and Estonia for 14 days prior to departure face no restrictions upon entry into Latvia.

Arrivals from elsewhere within the EU no longer face a 14-day mandatory quarantine if their country of origin’s COVID-19 cases does not exceed 15 individuals per 100,000 over the past two weeks. 

Lithuania

All arrivals to Lithuania from Portugal, UK, and Sweden are currently banned. Arrivals from Belgium are required to self-isolate for 14 days. Lithuanian citizens can arrive from the aforementioned countries but must observe quarantine policies.

Any travellers, including Lithuanian citizens, from country that has a 14-day overall infection rate of more than 15 cases per 100,000 must follow quarantine guidelines upon arrival into Lithuania.      

Luxembourg

Luxembourg is open to all travellers from within the EU and Schengen area, including the UK without the need for quarantine. 

Malta

From July 1, travellers can enter Malta without quarantine from the following countries: Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Italy (with the exception of Emilia Romagna, Lombardy and Piemonte), France (with the exception of Ile-de-France), Slovakia, Switzerland, Greece, Croatia, Spain (with the exception of Madrid, Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha, Castile and Leon) and Poland.

Netherlands

Tourists are allowed from the EU and Schengen countries but those arriving from Sweden and the UK are strongly advised to self-isolate for 14 days. You must have reserved holiday accommodation before entering Netherlands. 

Poland 

Entry to Poland without restriction is permitted for all those within the EU and Schengen area. 

Portugal

All flights are suspended from/to Italy and Spain. However, you can enter Portugal from all other parts of the EU and the Schengen area, including the United Kingdom.

You can also enter the country from South Africa, Canada, the USA, Venezuela and Brazil, but only flights from Sáo Paolo and Rio de Janeiro are being permitted. 

Romania

Romania is permitting arrivals without quarantine for all those coming from: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Croatia, The Swiss Confederation, Estonia, Finland, Metropolitan France, Germany (except for Kreis Gutersloh), Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary.

Arrivals from elsewhere are advised to quarantine.

Slovakia  

Travellers from following countries can enter Slovakia without any restrictions: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Germany, Norway, Austria, Slovenia, and Switzerland.

Slovenia

Slovenia is permitting quarantine free entry from “safe countries” including: Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Slovakia, Spain or Switzerland. 

Permanent residents and nationals of Slovenia can also enter from Sweden, Portugal and the United Kingdom without the need for quarantine. 

Spain

Spain is open to all travellers within the EU and Schengen areas except Portugal, where it is expected borders will open on July 1.

A mandatory quarantine measure is in place for all arrivals until the end of June. The only exception applies to those coming from the United Kingdom.

Sweden

Entry ban for non-EU citizens in in place until 30 June. You can enter if you’re travelling from any EU Member State, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or the United Kingdom.

You can also enter Sweden if you or a close relative is a permanent resident or hold a residence permit in the country or another EU country.

Switzerland

Switzerland is accepting arrivals from all countries without the need to quarantine from the EU, Schengen area and the United Kingdom.

All arrivals from Sweden will have to undergo temperature checks.   

We hope you have found our guide to where you can travel to within Europe during COVID-19 useful. Remember if you need to send your luggage ahead during the pandemic, you can use our luggage shipping service to make sure you have everything you need during lockdown.