Starting from Thursday, June 24, residents of Rwanda can travel to the Netherlands for all kinds of purposes following a decision by the Dutch government to lift all travel restrictions from different countries. The decision by the Dutch Government was upon the recommendation of the Council of the EU to add Rwanda and few other countries to the EU’s list of epidemiologically safe third-countries, the residents of which should be permitted to enter the EU countries for non-essential purposes. Third countries are those that are outside of the European Union and besides Rwanda, the other whose travel restriction has been lifted are; Australia, China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau) but only if China lifts entry restrictions on European travelers, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. “If you live in a safe country, you may travel to the Netherlands. The EU travel ban does not apply to you. It does not matter what your nationality or the purpose of your trip is. Countries that are not on the list of safe countries are considered high-risk areas,” the Dutch government explains. All travellers from the United States, Albania, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Taiwan can travel to the Netherlands completely restriction-free, including tourists, starting from June 24. Travellers from these countries can enter completely restriction-free, as they are not requested to present any type of Covid-19 test, vaccination certificates, or undergo quarantine. “If you are coming from a country where the risk of contracting Covid-19 is low (a safe country), you do not need to show a negative test result when you travel to The Netherlands. You are also not required to self-quarantine when you arrive in the Netherlands,” the government confirms. However, those travelling by air will have to fill in a health declaration form, which some of the airlines permit to be digitally completed when the traveller checks in. Currently, the countries on the ‘very high-risk’ list include Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, India, Maldives, Myanmar (from June 15 onwards), Nepal (from June 15 onwards), Pakistan (from June 15 onwards). There are also Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Seychelles, South Africa, Suriname, United Kingdom (from June 15 onwards), Uruguay and Venezuela. Arrivals from these countries can enter the Netherlands only if they are Dutch nationals or are travelling to the country for an absolutely essential purpose. According to information from www.schengenvisa.com those from these high-risk countries in case they travel to EU countries, they will have to self-quarantine, even if they have been vaccinated against the virus. The requirement of a negative Covid-19 test result applies to arrivals from these countries aged 13 and over. The health declaration is also a must for those reaching the Netherlands by air. The rest of the worlds countries fall under the high-risk list category. Only those travelling to The Netherlands for essential purposes can enter the country. A negative Covid-19 test result is mandatory for all those aged 13 and older. A ten-day quarantine period is also obligatory, though it can be ended on the fifth day if a second Covid-19 test has returned negative. A health declaration is also required for these travellers.
