Europe is now open for most Americans: but not every fully vaccinated American may enter!

Throughout the pandemic, we noticed there was a lot of confusion in understanding COVID entry requirements.

Contrary to popular belief, American citizens were never banned from entering EU countries and European citizens were always allowed to enter the US. As all passport holders are equally susceptible to COVID, the restrictions were primarily regulating where the visitors could arrive from and where they were in the 10-14 days prior to their arrival. For the past year, the US was on the list of banned countries, and New Zealand was on the list of the permitted countries. American and New Zealand citizens were equally allowed to arrive to European countries from New Zealand. They were equally not allowed when arriving from the US. Americans who wanted to travel to EU countries in the summer of 2020 had to make Croatia or the Republic of Georgia (not to be confused with the US state of Georgia) their first stop for 10 to 14 days before being able to proceed to most countries in Europe.

That is no longer necessary as the EU opened for vaccinated Americans and in the case of at least Greece, Spain, Croatia and Italy, unvaccinated American visitors too. However, a new misconception about the restrictions is taking root. Just because someone holds a US passport and is fully vaccinated, does not mean that they will be allowed into countries that are open to vaccinated Americans.  Where the visitor is arriving from is still key. So, if you are planning a multi-country itinerary, it is crucial to organize it in the right way.

Here is a sample of trips that vaccinated Americans can do and cannot do as of this moment.  They key is still whether the visitor arrives from:

• US-France-Turkey- US  Yes
• US-Turkey-France-US No
• US-Spain-Morocco-US Yes
• US-Morocco-Spain-US No
• US-Switzerland-Russia-US Yes
• US-Russia-Switzerland-US No
• US-Italy-Mexico-US Yes
• US-Mexico-Italy No

The best place to check for current travel restrictions is a free version of TIMATIC: https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/

We have also been getting reports that American flyers are now arriving at the airport with photos of their vaccine cards on the phone or photocopies, rather than original cards and are being denied boarding. Original cards are required to travel. The EU is now adopting apps, but there is no app, as of today, that accepts US CDC cards. Since they do not have QR codes on them, they cannot be independently verified like the versions given in other countries. Without a digital vaccine certificate, US travelers will be allowed to enter but are still subject to requirements applied to non-vaccinated people: a COVID test and quarantine will be required according to the country rules for non-vaccinated travelers.

The restrictions differ slightly from country to country. Before you plan your trip, please make sure to check step by step for:

1. Travel restrictions to enter (and for a transit) at https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/ or at the government website of the country you travel to.
2. Check if a vaccine certificate or COVID test (and what type) is required
3. Check if a digital vaccine certificate or paper one is required
4. Check if a paper vaccine certificate allows you to enter without a quarantine or any other restrictions
5. Check if you are required to pre-register online or submit a paper form before you travel
6. Be sure to arrive MUCH earlier than normal, we suggest 3 hours prior to departure as the lines are now very long as document checks take a long time.

The green pass (the Digital COVID Certificate) will go live in the EU on July 1st. It will consist of information about an individual's vaccination, test and/or recovery status in regards to COVID-19. Formulated as a QR code, the person traveling can choose to carry either a digital or paper-based certificate. All vaccines approved in the US are also accepted in Europe, but the details are still being worked out if American CDC cards could also be incorporated into the new Greenpass.