EU lifts travel restrictions for US travelers

(CNN) — US travelers will finally be allowed to visit Europe again this summer.The European Union’s governing body has recommended that the bloc lift restrictions on non-essential travel from 14 countries, including the US, a move that would allow visitors from these destinations to vacation in Europe far more easily.

In a statement announced on Friday, the European Council said member states should “gradually lift the travel restrictions at the external borders” for residents of the following countries: Albania, Australia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Republic of North Macedonia, Rwanda, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, USA and China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity.

According to the European Council, the countries were selected based on specifications linked to the “epidemiological situation and overall response to COVID-19, as well as the reliability of the available information and data sources.”The governing body also noted that reciprocity should be considered case by case.

While some countries, such as Greece and Spain, are already permitting fully vaccinated US travelers and/or those who submit a negative PCR test, or meet other special requirements to enter, this recommendation means that Americans could be permitted to travel to 27 EU member states.

However, each member state will have the option to impose additional requirements, such as a mandatory quarantine period, a negative PCR test or proof of vaccination.

The news comes more than a year after non-essential travel from America to the EU was banned.

At present, non-US citizens who’ve recently visited the EU or the UK are barred from entering America.US travelers took over 36 million trips to Europe in 2019, but data from the European Travel Commission indicates that this figure fell to 6.6 million last year. In fact, Europe saw international arrivals drop by 70% in 2020, when compared with 2019 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.