EU lifts travel restrictions for US travelers

(CNN) – This summer, American travelers will finally be allowed to visit Europe again.

The European Union’s governing body has recommended that the bloc lift restrictions on non-essential travel from 14 countries, including the United States, a move that would allow visitors to these destinations to easily vacation in Europe.

In a statement announced Friday, the European Council said member states should “gradually lift travel restrictions at external borders” for residents of the following countries: Albania, Australia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Rwanda. and Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, the United States and China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity.

The UK was notably absent from the list, which will be revised every two weeks.

According to the European Council, the countries were selected on the basis of specifications related to “the epidemiological situation and the overall response to COVID-19, as well as the reliability of the available information and data sources”.

The Board also noted that reciprocity should be taken into account on a case-by-case basis.

While some countries, such as Greece and Spain, already allow fully vaccinated American travelers and/or those who provide a negative PCR test, or meet other special entry requirements, this recommendation means Americans will be allowed to travel to the 27 member states. European Union.

However, each Member State will have the option of imposing additional requirements, such as a mandatory quarantine period, negative PCR tests or a vaccination certificate.

This news comes more than a year after the ban on non-essential travel from America to the European Union.

Currently, non-US citizens who have recently visited the European Union or the United Kingdom are denied entry to the United States.

US travelers made more than 36 million trips to Europe in 2019, but data from the European Travel Commission suggests that number fell to 6.6 million last year.

(Top photo: Passengers at Frankfurt Airport in Germany look at the destination banner showing canceled flights to America on March 12, 2020. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images.)