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EU Publishes Recommended “Travel Safe List” for Residents of 15 Countries
June 30, 2020
On 30 June, the European Council adopted a recommendation to Schengen member states (including prospective members Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania) and the four Schengen Associated States (Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the European Union. Travel restrictions should be lifted for countries listed in the recommendation, with this list being reviewed and, as the case may be, updated every two weeks.
- Based on the criteria and conditions set out in the latest recommendation, as from 1 July member states should start lifting the travel restrictions at the external borders for residents of the following third countries: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay (and China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity).
- The Council recommendation is not a legally-binding instrument. The authorities of the member states remain responsible for implementing the content of the recommendation. They may, in full transparency, lift only progressively travel restrictions towards countries listed.
- A member state should not decide to lift the travel restrictions for non-listed third countries before this has been decided in a coordinated manner.
- Residents of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican should be considered as EU residents for the purpose of this recommendation.
- Ireland and Denmark are not taking part in the adoption of this recommendation and are not bound by it or subject to its application.
- For countries where travel restrictions continue to apply, the following categories of people should be exempted from the restrictions:
- EU/EEA citizens (including Swiss and UK nationals) and their family members
- Long-term EU residents and their family members
- Travelers with an essential function or need, as listed in the recommendation. This now includes highly-qualified third-country workers if their employment is necessary from an economic perspective and the work cannot be postponed or performed abroad. It may include those whose application for permits under the EU’s Blue Card Directive 2009/50, the EU’s ICT Directive 2014/66 or as Researchers under Directive 2016/801 (or a national permit for skilled migrants) was approved but who were until now prevented from entering the EU due to the entry ban. Following this recommendation, we expect that EU member state to confirm and provide further guidance on this new exemption in the upcoming days. However, note that for these exempted groups, public health measures such as quarantine may still apply.
Our Advice
Please contact Newland Chase for help navigating the current travel restrictions and exemptions.
View our comprehensive COVID-19 Travel and Immigration Guide, which gathers together the knowledge and data we have on entry restrictions, immigration restrictions (office closures, visa suspensions, etc.) and immigration concessions, worldwide. Updated twice daily as new information is released.
New Webinar – Presidential Proclamation Examined: U.S. Immigration Developments and Their Global Impacts
As the immigration landscape rapidly shifts throughout the world, multinational companies have struggled to manage both their domestic workforce and global mobility programs. Watch our on-demand webinar examining the new challenges employers now face from President’s Trump Proclamation on 22 June 2020 and the anticipated upcoming travel bans from the European Union. Immigration experts Jason Rogers from Newland Chase and Ian Macdonald and Courtney Noce from Greenberg Traurig analyze the latest impacts these developments will have on both U.S. and global immigration programs.
