The EU will keep its borders closed to US travelers for now

Although there were questions on whether European Union would lift its ban on travelers from the US, it is not included on the the newly-published list of 12 countries that are welcomed in the EU. This is due to the rise in its COVID-19 cases.

The EU began lifting international travel restrictions on July 1, and is conducting a biweekly review to increase or reduce the list of permitted countries. The key determinant is that the COVID-19 outbreak in each country needs to be equally contained – or better – than in the EU. On 1 July, the permitted countries were Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Georgia, Morocco, Tunisia, Uruguay, Serbia, Rwanda, Algeria and Montenegro. In the latest list issued on July 14, Montenegro and Serbia have been removed from the list and no new countries have been added.

This means that Americans remain prohibited from visiting the bloc for at least another two weeks. Chinese travelers will be permitted to visit if their government lifts its reciprocal travel ban on EU countries. Although the UK left the EU in January, its citizens are allowed to travel within the bloc as EU travelers during the Brexit transition period. US travelers are also allowed to fly to Ireland and the UK as both lie outside of the Schengen Area, Europe's free movement zone, but they must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.

It is worthwhile noting that the decision on who can visit their country is ultimately down to each member state of the EU, as the recommendations of the EU are not mandatory.

Lockdowns are easing globally as the planet adjusts to a new normal. Find out how COVID-19 is changing travel.

You might also like:

Norway is opening to travelers from many European countries
What it’s like to fly in Europe right now