Easter holidays: What are the travel rules around Europe as UK to drop remaining Covid restrictions?

Esra Arahu16 March 2022

With the Easter holidays rapidly approaching, further Covid travel restrictions are being lifted in the UK and Europe.

The gradual easing of restrictions comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) called for countries to lift international travel bans back in January.

They argued restrictions “do not provide added value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress experienced by States Parties.”

Which countries in Europe have eased their Covid travel rules?

Many European countries have started to ease their restrictions as Europe recovers from the financial losses of the last two years.

Additionally, Portugal, Greece, France and the Finland all revealed plans last week to drop pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated arrivals.

Germany has recently abolished its high-risk list, meaning travellers can visit from any country.

Austria has lifted all its domestic Covid restrictions, except for the requirement to wear masks in shops and on public transport.

Which countries in Europe have lifted all Covid restrictions?

Several European countries have axed all Covid travel restrictions.

Norway has dropped its face mask laws, scrapped the need to isolate and removed its one metre social distancing requirement.

Travel restrictions were also eased as tourists are no longer required to provide proof of a negative test or their vaccination status when entering the country.

Testing requirements for visitors to Svalbard were also scrapped at the beginning of March, meaning arrivals no longer have to test negative to visit the remote Norwegian archipelago.

Similarly, Iceland ditched all of its Covid restrictions in February as travellers are no longer required to carry a vaccination certificate or provide a negative Covid test when they visit.

It has also scrapped Covid restrictions within its borders, with masks and social distancing no longer mandatory.

Slovenia also dropped its Covid restrictions in February so visitors are also not required to test or provide information about their vaccination status.

All of its domestic restrictions have also been dropped which means masks are no longer mandatory.

But Slovenia - which is famed for its glorious lakes, mountain ranges and ski resorts - still requires visitors to fill in a passenger locator form on arrival.

Ireland is the latest country to scrap all of its Covid travel restrictions after it removed remaining rules on Sunday.

Travellers will no longer have to fill in a passenger locator form, show proof of vaccination or recovery, provide a negative Covid test or wear face masks indoors.

What Covid restrictions are being lifted in the UK?

All remaining UK coronavirus travel measures including passenger locator forms will end on Friday, 18 March, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced.

He tweeted: “All remaining Covid travel measures, including the Passenger Locator Form and tests for all arrivals, will be stood down for travel to the UK from 4am on 18 March.

“These changes are possible due to our vaccine rollout and mean greater freedom in time for Easter.”

UK arrivals are currently required to complete passenger locator forms within 72 hours of travel.

As of last month, unvaccinated arrivals are no longer required to self-isolate but they still need to take a rapid pre-departure within 48 hours of travel and a PCR test on Day Two.

As a result, more than 30 million passengers are expected to fly to or from Gatwick this year, almost five times more than last year and two thirds of “normal.”

By the summer, it is expected the airport will be handling three to four million passengers a month.

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