From: Exit Staff
European Commission Proposes Free Entry into EU for All Vaccinated Travellers

The EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson unveiled a set of recommendations to simplify non-essential travel to the EU for vaccinated visitors.

In her proposal to the Council, Johansson urged member states to allow all non-EU citizens who have been fully vaccinated to travel to the EU freely for non-essential purposes.

She also recommended that the states gradually allow entry to those travelers who have received WHO-approved vaccines, as opposed to those approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A negative PRC test would still be required for this set of travelers.

Currently, each member state can decide whether to accept WHO-approved vaccines which include also the Chinese-manufactured Sinopharm and Sinovac. This latter was widely used in Albania at the beginning of the vaccination process.

Under the new guidance rules, vaccination certificates would be valid for a period of nine months, to enable travelers to receive booster shots.

If approved by the Council, the new guidelines would replace the “green” list of countries it is safe to travel from for non-essential purposes and open the way for most vaccinated travelers globally to visit the EU.

Nevertheless, member states will still have the power to circumvent the Council’s guidelines.