EU Travel Ban Coming?

Cancel your trip if it is fully refundable. Italy will still be there when or if any ban is over.

https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/eu-to-reimpose-entry-ban-on-travellers-from-us-5-other-third-countries-on-monday-sources-say/

Presumably you are referring to this or a similar report.

Nothing mentioned about 'expelling' people already there, but seems more focused on 'new arrivals', as I read it.

What is the last day you can pull the plug to avoid a financial hit? Hopefully Monday is not too late, and the EU will have a CLEAR policy announcement then so you can make a good decision.

I note from another of your posts your wife is quite concerned about the trip. If she is going to be in fear of some negative happening the entire trip, will either of you really enjoy the trip? At your age you have plenty of time to do it later.

It should also be noted that the EU list is just a recommendation, in the end it is up to the member states to set their own entry rules.

In Italy now and may need to go home if flights from US to Europe dry up and Europe back to the US dry up.

Two officials within the European Union institutions have confirmed for Reuters that the EU Council will on Monday announce its decision to remove from the list of epidemiologically safe third countries a total of six countries, including the United States.
The removal from the list means that the Member States are advised to reimpose the entry ban on travellers from these countries so that the same are no longer eligible to enter restriction-free for non-essential purposes like tourism and business.
According to Reuters, the decision on reimposing the entry ban on US travellers has been taken on Friday, August 27, but it will be officially announced only on Monday, August 30. The complete list of the countries affected goes as follows:
• Israel
• Kosovo
• Lebanon
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• United States
All six have recently reported an increasing number of Coronavirus cases detected within their territory.

I don't think your morals are in danger, but I do understand how it could be tough on your morale. Auto spelling correct is so sneaky!

I was about to say that I couldn't imagine having to cancel a trip at the last minute like this, but then I remembered that I could imagine it and had experienced it in March of 2020. It is not easy and I am sorry that this is happening to you.

We should know more next week. It will most likely not be a total travel ban (unlike what the US has done to Europe) and would mostly affect the unvaccinated. Some countries like Germany have already reimposed certain restrictions on U.S. travellers after placing the US once again in the higher risk bucket - mostly pertaining to the unvaccinated (72 hr PCR test requirement, quarantines etc.) and the broader EU measures are likely to mirror these requirements. The vaccinated should still be able to board a plane and enter a country without a PCR test... for now. That may change if U.S. Delta cases do not start to taper soon.

For now, I don't see this as being a major game changer overall - just part of the EU strategy to "regularise" the view on travellers across the zone. As a traveller, you have greater risk of an individual country suddenly changing the rules, such as the Belgians did last month for US travellers.

You won't get sent home on landing in Europe -- you will not be allowed to board your flight TO Europe if the arrival country isn't going to let you in. The airline doesn't want to be on the hook for the cost of flying you home. But that's little comfort if you're standing at the airport ready to board.

You are unlikely to be expelled once you arrive in Europe. However, if the EU bans new arrivals, you will find that airlines suddenly stop flying other than to repatriate people and they will try to do this quickly, so your trip would be curtailed.

This happened to me last year and it didn’t make for a relaxing holiday, checking flights several times a day. My return flight was changed 7 times and I ended up staying 4 days longer than originally planned.

No surprise, the summer tourist season is just about wrapping up... time to reimpose restrictions.

The same thing happened last year, June-August restrictions were lessened to facilitate tourism, then reimposed going into autumn/winter.

This will impact the unvaccinated, not the vaccinated. Here's an accurate link: https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-moves-reintroduce-covid-travel-curbs-us-diplomats-2021-08-27/

Everybody just calm down......once again a rumor starts everyone rumming amok. And opinions, not facts, take over.

The EU only gives guidance. Most countries in the EU have set their own entry rules. Many have set strict rules such as proof of vaccination and a negative test. With those two items, the chances of anyone carrying Covid into a country is very low.

The tourism, hospitality and transportation industries have ramped up due to the opening of these countries. A reversal would mean a high economic impact to these countries including more unemployment.

And also realize, that even if rules change, no American will be stranded in Europe. Even during the heights of the pandemic, when no Americans were allowed in Europe, there were numerous daily flights between the U.S. and countries all over Europe. Every day. Most carried cargo but many also had people.

I have a trip planned in six weeks. I'm not freaking out, I'm not listening to opinions, and I'm not ready to cancel.

Why don't we just wait and see what happens.

Why don't we just wait and see what happens.

Sage wisdom, Frank II, but what would the internet be without rampant speculation?

As noted above, whatever the EU says will be a recommendation. It will be up to the individual countries to decide what they want to do.

(And, now, here comes my rampant speculation!)

If the EU recommends a ban of all non-essential travel from these countries (US, Israel, etc), I think there will be EU countries that will look at what's actually happened within their borders over the past 2-3 months when tourism opened up in a big way. Has their medical system been overwhelmed? Are cases skyrocketing? Deaths? My opinion is that there will be countries who think the numbers have been at acceptable levels, and will keep tourism open for vaccinated (and perhaps also tested) tourists from the countries in question.

I tend to agree Frank. This is not last year. Vaccinations have made that different. Is the Delta surge a problem? More than any of us ever thought?? Yes…Big time…for all….everywhere! I just don’t see many EU countries totally putting on the breaks. Too much to lose. My best guess is only-vaccinated will be allowed. My trip is in 5 wks. Just waiting to see what happens. We are all getting used to waiting! Not wanting to feel panicked or discouraged. I do have plan C in my back pocket.

And a yes to your thoughts also Eric!

and yes, to what others have said, EU regs are RECOMMENDATIONS.

So much so that Denmark is lifting restrictions in September on Covid https://thehill.com/policy/international/569788-denmark-to-lift-all-covid-restrictions-in-september

I appreciate posts like this that might alert me to something going on that I may wish to follow. Doesn't mean I'll act on it or that I'm alarmist, it's just good to know what might be coming. There was a RS facebook group that I dropped because the tone was that anyone traveling now was insensitive and uninformed. This forum is better, in that, at least the hope is, information is presented and people can make their own decisions based on their own situations and level of risk they are willing to assume. People that are traveling now have their own reasons for travel and people that chose not travel also have made their decisions based on facts and personal/family situations. There really is no right or wrong decision.

Not surprising really given the high surge numbers here in the last few weeks...no wonder..

Too many people in certain states are not cooperating by wearing the mask, getting the shots or, better still , denying the whole thing. Their vacced rate in still stuck in the 30%. How does this make the US look in the eyes of world?

Our departure for Bologna is in 3 weeks and 3 days. Tomorrow is the deadline to cancel our reservation for an agriturismo in Tuscany, but we’re sticking with going to Italy. We’re both vaccinated, will be bringing masks and sanitizer (drat- that’s another thing that has to fit in the single Ziploc for liquids/pastes/gels), and are prepared to take whatever tests are required. At this point, getting back to the USA in October, having to get a negative test within the proper timeframe, and flying thru the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport seem to be the biggest hurdles the trip will involve.

You’ve done what you need to do, so plan for a great trip! There will be a LOT more tourists in Italy on your following trip after this one. Please leave some gelato for us.

Cyn, TSA is allowing travelers to bring up to 12 oz bottles of hand sanitizer also wipes. My observation is that you put it separately from your other liquids either in its own ziploc or on its own. I think TSA might take an extra minute or so to look at the separate and larger bottle of the liquid. In any case, your sanitizer does not have to fit into your regular liquids bag.

Valerie, I just read the Reuters link you provided - thanks! As you said, it’s for unvaccinated people to worry about. That, and reciprocity to particular countries, so some political pressure.

jules m, thank you for the sanitizer update. That’s extremely helpful info!

Well we are in Switzerland right now so hopefully no one will kick us out! Lol! It does seem this is focused on UNVACCINATED but we shall see.

OMG....this is herd mentality of pure panic without knowing the facts. Here is the first paragraph of the Reuters article:

BRUSSELS, Aug 27 (Reuters) - The European Union on Friday moved to reinstate COVID travel restrictions like quarantine and testing requirements for UNVACCINATED citizens of the United States and five other countries, two diplomats told Reuters.

(The highlighting and capitalization is from me.)

So, let me make sure you get it......the new restrictions, if any, will be on the Unvaccinated.

Some countries, like Germany, already ban unvaccinated people from the USA. The EU proposal might just suggest all countries do the same.

Another news report said that Croatia will vote against the proposal. As long as one EU country votes against the proposal, it will not be adopted.

Relax. Be patient. Wait until the official world.

I would urge calm, take a deep breath, keep in mind these are pronouncements from EU officials that like to speak big and news organizations take that and make alarmist headlines. The EU meetings are like cat circuses, entertaining, but you wonder why you wasted your time watching it.

As several others stated, this is simply a categorization of countries to provide guidance to member countries, it carries all the weight of a strongly worded letter from the UN.

Each country will then update it's policy, no accident that Italy's requirements are due for update Aug.31 and the EU held a meeting Friday, other countries are doing the same. To slam the door shut at this stage of the pandemic would be suicide for any politician, any changes will be gradual. Some of the chatter seems to focus on restrictions regarding the unvaccinated and added testing, as well as increased use of "green passes".

For Italy, for example, rumor (cryptic comments from the health minister) seem to indicate nothing will change for US travelers, and the Brits will no longer have to do a 5 day quarantine if they are vaccinated.

I have my money where my mouth is, so to speak, I fly to Rome, now via AMS, on Sep. 5, and have few worries, though I limited reservations to a first few nights, and a couple Ryanair tickets, so I am maybe only out a couple hundred for a month long trip if the worst happens. My bigger concern is that the focus of my trip, Sicily, just went "Yellow", so maybe a change in plans is in order, Puglia maybe?

Paul, you'll now need a negative test for Italy (there's another thread about that) but otherwise you'll be good to go (assuming you're vaxxed, of course!)

Yeah just waiting to see what happens here on my end too. Was supposed to go to Germany in March 2020 (too bad I didn't make it for Feb, right?)!. I'm scheduled to go in October. So we'll see what happens. I wish the US would open up to vaccinated EU citizens. It makes no sense not to. We should just adopt a trans Atlantic policy of "vaccinated + a PCR test" before boarding. Not vaxxed, not going. That simple.

Yes, it looks to be good to go, we had actually already scheduled tests prior to leaving, just to have negative (well hopefully) results in hand as a back-up to vaccination cards (mainly in case we were re-routed or delayed someplace that required results)

Per this release, vaccinated travelers will now have to also provide a negative Covid test. Unvaccinated travelers will have to provide the negative test and also quarantine for 5 days. So, if you're vaccinated, just get a rapid antigen test and you're good to go. The link is in Italian, but you can copy and paste the text into Google Translate, which is what I did.

https://www.trovanorme.salute.gov.it/norme/renderNormsanPdf?anno=2021&codLeg=82596&parte=1%20&serie=null

BRUSSELS, Aug 27 (Reuters) - The European Union on Friday moved to
reinstate COVID travel restrictions like quarantine and testing
requirements for UNVACCINATED citizens of the United States and five
other countries, two diplomats told Reuters.

Frank II, so now the EU can "REINSTATE" COVID travel restrictions in countries where they never "Instated" (is that a word?) them (that would include all 27 EU states)? Good to know.

Understand, that there are (arguably) 23 countries in or partially in Europe that are outside of the EU, so options abound.

Oh, but if you ignore the lousy reporting, the topic is interesting and worth tracking.

James E.......I missed that one. I was trying to make a point that what the EU was referencing was "unvaccinated" that I glossed over the "reinstate" part. Of course they can't do that.

Isn't it amazing how few journalists get it right.

Fortune magazine reported that Croatia plans to block the recommendation but at this point, I don't know who is getting it right.

It does mean something though.

It's a reminder to keep an eye on official sites as things "could" change.

And maybe a reminder to stay flexible when at all possible (Pilates is a good start).

And a reminder never trust a headline or the actual story for that matter; okay, like my hero once said, "Trust but Verify"

I wonder what it will mean if we intend to travel with unvaccinated 8 year old.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/eu-travel-restrictions-intl-hnk/index.html

CNN says halt non-essential travel, also. Just not unvaccinated.

Lulu, The second paragraph in your article seems to refer to vaccination status.

It will helpful when we aren't just speculating. My heart goes out to those of you with trips scheduled in the near future and the uncertainty you are experiencing.

Carol,
I did read that. I think the article is confusing because the 1st paragraph didn’t mention unvaccinated specifically. Let’s hope that it is just that. If everyone had gotten vaccinated that could, we wouldn’t be in this spot, and it angers me.

We are supposed to leave for an Ireland golf trip this Friday, hope we can get there before this hits.

The NYT just reported that the EU council has formally made its recommendations advising that member countries limit entry of UNVACCINATED people from the U.S., Israel, etc. Huge sigh of relief because flying to France on Wednesday, 9/1.

The Associated Press and Reuters have reported on the suggested ban but there has yet to be official word from the EU itself. Let's be patient as different news organizations are reporting it differently.

Here's the press release:

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/08/30/covid-19-council-removes-5-countries-and-one-entity-territorial-authority-from-the-list-of-countries-for-which-travel-restrictions-should-be-lifted/

Following a review under the recommendation on the gradual lifting of
the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU, the
Council updated the list of countries, special administrative regions
and other entities and territorial authorities for which travel
restrictions should be lifted. In particular, Israel, Kosovo[1],
Lebanon, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia and the United
States of America were removed from the list.

Non-essential travel to the EU from countries or entities not listed
in Annex I is subject to temporary travel restriction. This is without
prejudice to the possibility for member states to lift the temporary
restriction on non-essential travel to the EU for fully vaccinated
travellers.