COVID-19 Border Controls and Vaccine Passports
May 28, 2021
Vaccination and Border Crossing
Cayman Islands - Testing requirement removed for returning travellers who have completed their vaccination course.
Czech Republic - Fully-vaccinated travellers that are arriving from certain countries may enter without undergoing testing or quarantine requirements.
Dominica - Individuals who are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to be tested on arrival at the airport.
France plans to open to fully vaccinated US tourists on June 9, 2021.
Hawaii - Authorities have said they plan to lift travel requirements for individuals who have been fully vaccinated, at some point in June.
Hungary - Citizens and residents who’ve been fully vaccinated can now return home without quarantines or tests. Additionally, foreigners with an immunity certificate issued by Serbia, Montenegro, Bahrein, Croatia, or Slovenia can now enter Hungary and will also be exempt from tests or quarantines.
Israel allows 20 small groups of foreign tourists to enter the country, in a pilot program.
Jersey - Travellers who are fully vaccinated in the common travel area will not be required to quarantine on arrival from 28 May.
Latvia to allow restriction-free entry for vaccinated EU/EEA citizens, Brits & other third-country travellers.
Northern Ireland may permit restriction-free travel for vaccinated US citizens by July.
Puerto Rico - Fully vaccinated travellers from the US are no longer required to get tested for before visiting.
Saint Kitts and Nevis - Opening only to fully vaccinated travelers May 29 .
Spain - All vaccinated travellers will be permitted to enter the country beginning June 7.
Tunisia - Fully vaccinated travelers are exempt from quarantine and testing, effective June 1.
Uruguay - Fully vaccinated travelers for at least 15 days prior to travel not be required to undergo the quarantine upon entry. Note, borders remain closed to most foreign nationals.
EU has approved the EU Digital COVID Certificate for use across the bloc beginning July 1.
African Airlines expecting to adopt COVID-19 vaccine passports by 2022.
Vaccination and Local Life
Anguilla - Churches, bars and restaurants are open, and groups of up to 25 fully-vaccinated people may meet indoors and outdoors.
Azerbaijan will ease coronavirus restrictions as of 31 May, including lifting the face mask mandate in open places and introducing COVID-19 passports. COVID passports will be comprised of two documents – vaccination certificate (about receiving vaccine jab) and immune certificate (about recovering from the disease). Both certificates will have a QR code and either of them will be required to enter sports and recreational centres.
England - Vaccine passports are set for use at mass events.
France - For gatherings of more than 1,000, a digital health pass providing details of vaccination and results of negative antigen/PCR tests will be mandatory beginning June 9.
Hungary - Private and family events can again be held without restrictions for up to 50 people and weddings for up to 200 people. Indoor events, as well as music and dance events, can only be attended by holders of a vaccination card, and outdoor events can be held with up to 500 participants.
Saudi Arabia - All public and private sector workers will be required to have taken a COVID-19 vaccination. Beginning 1 August, individuals will be required to have received a full COVID-19 vaccination regime before entering government, private, or educational buildings; using public transportation; or attending any social, economic, commercial, cultural, scientific, entertainment, or sports events.
Within the United States:
Illinois - vaccinated visitors from an ‘orange’ state are exempt from quarantine.
Massachusetts - fully vaccinated visitors are exempt from quarantine.
Washington, D.C. - vaccinated visitors are exempt from testing requirements.
Michigan - fully vaccinated individuals will not be required to wear a face-covering indoors or outdoors at residential events.
Rhode Island - vaccinated individuals traveling from another state with a high community spread rate are exempt from 10-day self-quarantine.
Washington - new COVID workplace restrictions issued May 21st, require employers to check employee vaccine documents.
At the same time, at least a dozen other states including Arizona, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Texas and Wyoming are moving in the opposite direction, banning or restricting the use of any sort of vaccine "passport" or a vaccination certification or verification system.
Border Controls
Anguilla - Borders are open to visitors again from May 25. Fully vaccinated travelers will be required to vacation in place at their accommodation for 7 days. Unvaccinated visitors must vacation in place at their accommodation for at least 10 days.
Estonia allows quarantine-free entry for arrivals from Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary and Liechtenstein.
French Guiana, French Polynesia, Guadeloupe, New Caledonia - The lifting of compelling reasons is announced for June 9. The restrictions will be lifted, sometimes with vaccination as a condition, and isolation will be mandatory depending on the territory.
Malta to welcome tourists beginning June 1.
Northern Ireland has lifted the ban on nonessential foreign travel, effective May 24.
North Macedonia to lift the nation's quarantine requirements for travelers from all African countries and Brazil starting May 26.
Norway - Foreign travelers who reside in designated quarantine-exempt ("yellow") countries or areas are allowed to enter without restrictions, effective May 27.
Switzerland to abolish the quarantine requirement for vaccinated arrivals and those who have recovered from COVID-19, beginning May 31. Restriction-free entry rule does not apply to travellers coming from countries with significant concerns about the new virus variants.
United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi will lift quarantine rules for foreign travellers from July 1st. Travellers arriving from countries with a higher infection rate would have to undergo two COVID-19 tests, one before they travel and another upon their arrival in Abu Dhabi.
Restictions for travelers from the UK:
Austria has banned all direct flights to and from the United Kingdom with effect from 1st June.
France to tighten international entry restrictions for UK travelers starting May 31.
Germany has banned British travellers, effective May 23.
Liechtenstein - Authorities tighten restrictions on arrivals from UK as of May 28.
Sri Lanka - Inbound international passengers remain suspended through May 31, to resume June 1.
Mongolia - International travel restrictions will remain in effect until at least May 31.
Foreign nationals without valid Alien Resident Certificates are barred from entering Taiwan through June 18.
In Other News
Countries where the NHS COVID app will be accepted include Barbados, Croatia, Greece and Turkey.
Malaysia is urging the government to establish an internationally recognised vaccine passport, expecting that vaccine passport will boost medical tourism.
US, Russia, Maldives in race to start COVID Vaccine Tourism.