Travel restrictions can be confusing. Here’s a guide to the popular holiday destinations where European citizens don’t need to quarantine right now.
ADVERTISEMENTIt’s easy to get confused with the ever-changing travel restrictions, which are dependent not only on your destination, but the country you’re travelling from, your vaccination status and COVID test results.
Europeans can technically travel to over 100 destinations right now - though it’s still not recommended.
However, there are some destinations which Europeans can travel to without having to quarantine - regardless of other restrictions and whether or not you have the EUDCC. Here’s the current situation.
Greece and its islands
Greece was one of the first countries to open back up to tourists as early as May 2021. As it stands, European citizens travelling to Greece need not quarantine unless they test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival.
Otherwise, so long as you can provide evidence of a negative test or proof of vaccination, you can skip circling your hotel room desperately trying to reach 10,000 steps for days on end, and instead wander freely among the ancient ruins, or along the beautiful coastline.
Great news for the UK, too, as Greece has said it will recognise an NHS proof of vaccination certificate.
Portugal
As it stands, EU citizens who can present a negative PCR test 72 hours ahead of arrival to the country can visit Portugal quarantine-free. This includes the Azores Islands, where the population is already mostly vaccinated.
There is still a 14-day quarantine in place for citizens travelling from countries outside the EU including Brazil, India, Nepal and South Africa among others.
There was a bit of upset for UK travellers a couple of weeks back, when Portugal was unexpectedly relegated to its amber list, meaning many tourists had to return home immediately and upcoming holidays were cancelled.
Croatia
Croatia is also offering freedom of movement to any green list EU citizen who can provide evidence of a negative test. A longtime popular summer getaway for the rest of Europe, the iconic Dubrovnik and Croatia’s white sand beaches are calling.
Tourists will need to pre book accommodation before arriving, and have proof of this to hand, as well as fill in an online form before travelling.
Malta
The first European nation to achieve total vaccination, the Mediterranean island of Malta is officially open to the rest of the EU.
The island recently confirmed there are no inbound quarantine requirements for the EU and the UK, but visitors need to fill in the Malta Travel Declaration for safety.
