Netherlands relaxes Covid travel rules and reopens to fully vaccinated UK and US travellers
As of this week, the Netherlands is significantly reducing its travel restrictions for fully vaccinated US and UK travellers.
Starting 22 September, double jabbed arrivals from the UK and US - previously categorised as “very high risk areas” - no longer have to quarantine on arrival, provided that their second vaccine shot has been administered two weeks beforehand.
Previously, travellers from both countries had to quarantine for 10 days after landing, with a “test to release” option on day five.
From tomorrow, 25 September, guidelines on the ground ease up, too, with authorities scrapping the requirement to stay 1.5 metres from others, allowing restaurants and bars to operate at full capacity once more.
It means Amsterdam city breaks will become a reality once more; the Dutch capital welcomed more than 2.4 million British tourists in 2019.
“This is a big step forwards,” read a Government of the Netherlands statement.
“Nearly 13 million people in the Netherlands have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine and more than 11 million are fully vaccinated. Hospital and ICU admissions are stable.
“The majority of people who are admitted to hospital or who test positive for coronavirus are still unvaccinated. Vaccination coverage is high enough that we can lift the rule to stay 1.5 metres from others. But it’s not yet high enough to do this without putting other conditions in place.”
One such condition is the introduction of a vaccine passport, the Coronavirus entry pass, to enter bars and restaurants, festivals, concerts and sports matches, as well as cinemas and theatres. Only those aged 13 and over have to show the pass.
The pass is easily generated by residents on a smartphone, using an app called CoronaCheck.
Nightlife is still under review, with authorities announcing that they are “developing support measures for nightclubs and discos”.
Not everyone was thrilled by the new rules.
The country’s largest organisation representing hospitality businesses, Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN), said it was “inexplicable” that restrictions were being lifted for the public while new rules were being imposed for bars and restaurants, particularly opposing the curfew of midnight to 6am currently imposed on venues.
“Support for the current measures was already low among catering entrepreneurs, but with this extension and reinforcement, I expect that a limit will be crossed and that many catering entrepreneurs will no longer enforce the rules,” said KHN chair Robèr Willemsen.
The new guidelines are set to be reviewed by the Dutch government in November.
For more information on the current travel rules, check out the full info in English here.
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