This archive report was first published on 30 June 2020.
On June 30, 2020, the European Union formally agreed to a set of recommendations allowing travelers from outside the bloc to visit EU countries, months after it shut its external borders in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.
The list of 14 countries does not include the United States, whose current Covid infection rate does not meet the EU's criteria for a "safe country." The criteria require that confirmed Covid cases in countries on the list are similar or below that of the EU's per 100,000 citizens over the previous 14 days, starting from June 15.
Countries must also have a "stable or decreasing trend of new cases over this period in comparison to the previous 14 days," while the EU will consider what measures countries are taking, such as contact tracing, and how reliable each nation's data is.
The US has the highest number of reported coronavirus infections, with 2,590,582 cases, and the highest number of deaths, at 126,141, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
US infection rates will need to dramatically drop if Americans are to be allowed entry to European countries, just as the European tourism industry enters its peak months.
The recommendations are expected to come into force as early as July 1, but it remains up to member states to decide exactly how to implement any changes in border policy.
The list of countries included in the recommendations are: Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay.
China, where the virus originated, is not on the initial list of 14, but the EU is willing to place it on that list if the Chinese government reciprocates and allows EU citizens to enter its borders.
Travelers from countries not on the list can still enter the EU if they fall under certain exemptions, including EU citizens or family members, long-term EU residents or family members, and those with an "essential function or need," such as diplomats, healthcare workers, or certain agricultural workers.
