Unvaccinated American tourists set to be able to visit EU from June 18

Unvaccinated travellers from the US are expected to be allowed to enter the EU from Friday (June 18), under updated recommendations from the European Union.

It comes after ambassadors from the EU’s 27 states approved the addition of the US and five other countries to the bloc’s list of countries considered safe from an epidemiological point of view, news agency Reuters reported.

An official confirmation is expected on Friday.

All travellers entering the EU from a country on the safe list are in theory allowed to enter for any reason, such as tourism or visiting family, whether they are vaccinated against Covid-19 or not.

Individual EU countries can, though, still decide to add additional restrictions, such as proof of a negative Covid-19 test or a period of self-isolation on arrival.

In practice, the EU’s decision could mean France will add the US to its green travel list, meaning everyone from the US will be able to enter the country without an essential reason. People who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will still need to present proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken 72 hours before departure.

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The EU will also add Albania, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Serbia and Taiwan to the list. Hong Kong and Macau are currently on the list under the recommendation to remove restrictions if reciprocity is given. This is expected to be updated and they will be added to the list without this caveat.

The EU’s current safe travel list for third countries:

Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, China (subject to confirmation of reciprocity), Israel, Japan

People in Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican are treated as if they are EU residents.

France’s green travel list is similar to the EU’s safe list, with a few differences such as France has already included Lebanon on the list but has not added Thailand, Rwanda or China.

The US is currently on France’s amber travel list, meaning people who are vaccinated are able to enter with proof of a negative Covid-19 test, and those who are not fully vaccinated can only enter for an essential reason, such as they have the right to live or work in France.

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