Which countries are open to international travel
Certain countries are reducing their ‘red lists’ and beginning to open to foreign nationals, with some requirements. Here’s what you need to know.
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Australians who are based overseas now have more travel options, and those at home who are itching to travel may soon be spoiled for choice as the world is gradually relaxing its restrictions for international visitors. Here are the countries that are reopening their borders to foreign nationals. Before you travel contact the embassy or consulate of the country you plan to visit here.
UK
The UK government has announced a dramatic reduction to its coronavirus travel “Red List”, scrapping bans on foreigners travelling to England from 47 countries.
Under the new rules that come into effect on Monday 11 October, only seven countries – Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela – will remain under the restrictions.
Removal from the “Red List” for the 47 countries and territories, including Brazil, Mexico and South Africa, means passengers will no longer be required to enter hotel quarantine.
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the move was possible because of “the increased vaccination efforts around the globe”.
The government also announced it was extending inbound vaccinated arrivals to a further 37 countries and territories including India and Turkey.
The new rules mean fully vaccinated individuals entering England from the 37 locations will be exempt from quarantine, a pre-departure test and a day-eight post-arrival test.
British and Irish nationals and those living in the UK are allowed to travel from Red List countries, but must quarantine in a hotel for 10 days on arrival.
Europe
EU member states and Schengen Area countries have imposed restrictions on travel into the continent as well as within the EU and the Schengen Area.
Some EU member states and Schengen Area countries have reopened their borders to some travellers from outside the EU or Schengen Area but entry is subject to certain conditions and can vary between each country, and depending on the transits of travel.
Entry restrictions can change also at short notice.
From 1 July 2021, EU member state authorities began issuing Digital Covid Certificates (EU digital certificates), QR-coded certificates which certify that you have either been vaccinated,
received a negative Covid-19 test result, or recovered from Covid-19 within the previous 180 days.
If you’re legally in the EU and have been vaccinated or tested in the EU, you should be eligible to receive an EU digital certificate.
Some member state authorities may issue you with an EU digital certificate if you’ve been vaccinated or tested outside the EU and can provide proof.
Check the local requirements before travelling.
US-based travellers may be able to convert their CDC-issued vaccination card into a digital certificate however, it is not available in every European country.
On 30 August the European Union recommended that member states reimplement travel restrictions for unvaccinated US visitors, removing the US from the EU’s “safe list” based on Covid-19 numbers in the country.
The recommendation is not mandatory, so individual countries are expected to issue their own guidance regarding travellers from the US and have continued to allow vaccinated travellers.
US and Canada
The United States was for many months the epicentre of the pandemic and continues to have the highest case numbers in the world.
However, all US states are mostly open to travellers with few restrictions.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention requires all air passengers 2 years of age and older travelling to the US from abroad take a Covid-19 test within three days of departure for the US and provide documentation of a negative PCR or antigen test result to their airline before boarding the flight.
Proof of vaccination, or proof from a licensed health care provider of recovery from the virus within the past 90 days is also accepted.
US President Joe Biden also signed an executive order that mandates the wearing of masks on federal property and domestic public transportation, including planes and airports through January 2022.
The US has restrictions on visitors, including a ban on tourists driving into the country from Canada and Mexico through at least 21 October, as well as a ban on all tourists travelling from China, Iran, Europe’s Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Brazil and South Africa.
The US government recently announced that it will reopen to fully vaccinated European and British travellers in early November.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a nationwide Covid-19 vaccine mandate for rail and air travellers aged 12 and over, as well as for staff which will be enforced by the end of October, with a short month-long grace period in which negative Covid-19 tests will be accepted.
Israel and Middle East
All passengers travelling to Dubai from any point of origin must hold a negative Covid-19 test certificate for a test taken no more than 72 hours before departure, except for travel from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia (which have additional requirements).
Travellers must bring an official printed or digital certificate in English or Arabic to check in – SMS certificates are not accepted. PCR certificates in other languages are acceptable if they can be validated at the originating station.
Israel has now declared Israeli citizens and residents can travel anywhere in the world.
Until 4 October, Israelis were still barred from travelling to Turkey, Bulgaria and Brazil because of high Covid numbers.
Under current guidelines, travellers returning to Israel who have been vaccinated three times, or twice within the past six months, are only required to quarantine for 24 hours, or upon receipt of a negative PCR test.
Unvaccinated individuals or those whose second dose was more than six months ago are still required to quarantine for a full week or receive two negative PCR tests.
The Israel Ministry of Tourism is reviewing plans to allow individual vaccinated tourists to visit the country from November.
Currently Israel is only open to small groups of tourists or individuals visiting family members.
Asia
Bali will reopen its airport to international arrivals on 14 October, officials have announced. Bali Ngurah Rai Airport in Denpasar will begin welcoming arrivals from a select number of countries, according to Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, Indonesia’s minister of maritime affairs and investment.
Foreign tourists who are allowed to enter Indonesia are from South Korea, China, Japan, UAE and New Zealand.
Those travellers must present a valid e-VISA for entry into Indonesia, a negative PCR test no more than 72 hours old prior to both entry and exit, and quarantine for eight days in a designated hotel.
Vietnam is planning from December to reopen key tourist destinations to vaccinated visitors from countries deemed a low Covid-19 risk ahead of a full resumption targeted for June next year.
Tourists from approved countries will be allowed to visit UNESCO world heritage site Halong Bay and Hoi An, the highlands town of Dalat and beach destination Nha Trang.
India
India will reopen to tourism from 15 October, the government said, after more than a year of closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Foreign nationals will be able to apply for a visa for the first time since March 2020, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government imposed a strict lockdown in response to the pandemic.
“After considering various inputs, the MHA (home ministry) has decided to begin granting fresh Tourist Visas for foreigners coming to India through chartered flights with effect from October 15, 2021,” the home ministry said in a statement.
Foreigners travelling to India via commercial flights will be able to enter on fresh tourist visas starting 15 November 2021 after what has been an 18-month pause due to Covid-19.
Tourists arriving by chartered flight follow a tentative reopening in recent months to travellers on business, diplomat or student visas.
“All due protocols and norms relating to Covid-19 as notified by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from time to time, shall be adhered to by the foreign tourists, carriers bringing them into India and all other stakeholders at landing stations,” said the announcement, although Australian authorities continue to advise against travel to India.
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