EU opens its doors to vaccinated travelers

Vaccinated visitors to European Union countries will find entry easier this summer under new guidance, according to European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand. Nonessential travelers from the United States and other non-European countries deemed “safe” may soon be able to skip entry quarantines if they provide one of the following: proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test, or documentation of recovery from the virus. Travelers must use vaccines on the E.U.’s approved list, which includes the three vaccines available in the United States but excludes most vaccines manufactured in China and Russia.

What does this mean for Europe? The relaxed restrictions would allow an influx of tourists over the summer and provide the European economy with a much-needed boost, especially for tourism-reliant countries like Greece, Italy, and Spain. The EU is also working to streamline similar “vaccine passport” policies for citizens traveling between member states.

Dig deeper: Listen to Anna Johanson Brown’s report on The World and Everything in It about whether “vaccine passports” are the ticket back to normalcy.