Countries that have Removed Covid-19 Testing

These Are the Latest EU/Schengen Countries That Have Removed COVID-19 Testing Obligation for Travelers

After taking into account the high vaccination rates and concluding that strict travel rules no longer have a significant role when it comes to stopping the virus from spreading, several European Union and Schengen Area countries have decided to lift their pre-entry testing requirement.

While several countries lifted some of their restrictions earlier this month, others, like Finland, Lithuania, France, Portugal, and Lithuania, decided to evaluate the situation once again and then make a decision.

Finland is the most recent country to announce that travelers will no longer be subject to the testing requirement. The Finnish authorities revealed that all vaccinated travelers now are exempt from the testing rules.

The exemption from the testing requirement applies to all travelers who have completed their vaccination process regardless of the country of origin. Thus, this means that Finland now applies more relaxed entry rules not only for citizens of the EU but for nationals of third countries too. On the other hand, travelers who have not been vaccinated against the virus will continue to be subject to entry rules.

Similar to Finland, the French authorities have announced that all fully vaccinated travelers are now permitted entry to the country without having to undergo the pre-entry testing requirement. The Ministry of Interior of France explained that the lifting of the testing requirement applies to all travelers, including nationals of third countries.

“For travelers vaccinated within the meaning of European regulations, no more tests will be required on departure. Proof of a complete vaccination schedule becomes sufficient to arrive in France, regardless of the country of origin,” the statement of the Ministry reads.

Such a statement suggests that everyone needs to present a valid vaccination certificate upon their arrival in France in order to be permitted restriction-free entry to the country. France currently recognises only vaccination passes that indicate that the holder has completed primary vaccination in the last nine months.

Apart from removing the testing requirement for the EU/Schengen Area and several other third countries that are connected to the EU Digital COVID-19 Certificate, Greece has ended such a requirement for arrivals from the US, Canada, and Australia too. The Greek Civil Aviation Authority announced earlier this week that travelers from the three third countries mentioned above are now permitted entry under facilitated rules. Travelers from the US, Canada, and Australia can now enter Greece restriction-free as long as they prove that they have been vaccinated, recovered, or tested recently. Greece accepts vaccination certificates provided that the document proves that the last vaccine dose has been taken within the last nine months. On the other hand, recovery certificates are valid only for a period of 180 days.

In addition to the countries mentioned above, Lithuania, Sweden, and Portugal have also lifted the testing requirement for the EU/Schengen Area as well as for some other specific third countries.