Current COVID regulations in the European Union and the United Kingdom

Current COVID regulations in the European Union and the United Kingdom
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With the spread of the Omicron variant, many of the European states are changing their COVID regulations. In this article we provide all important COVID-related rules in the European Union and the United Kingdom. It is important to not forget that with the development of the pandemic the regulations listed below might be susceptible to change.
NOTE: In the cases where full vaccination is one of the travel requirements, the vaccine must be officially confirmed by the given government.

Austria

  • Given the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, Austria has implemented stricter measures to combat coronavirus. All people entering the country must provide proof that they are either fully vaccinated or have fully recovered from COVID-19. It is obligatory to complete a PCR test not earlier than 72h before entering the state. This also applies for fully vaccinated individuals, unless they have completed the booster shot (the third dose of the vaccine).

Belgium

  • All people entering Belgium are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL). This is not obligatory for people transiting Belgium who won’t spend more than 48h in the country or for those who haven’t spent more than 48h outside Belgium’s borders.
  • When entering Belgium it is obligatory to have a certificate proving that you are fully vaccinated or that you have completed a COVID-19 test the result of which is negative. 2 types of tests are accepted in Belgium: a PCR test completed not earlier than 72h upon entry or a rapid antigen test completed not earlier than 36h upon entry.

Bulgaria

  • EU citizens are allowed to enter Bulgaria only if they have the necessary documents proving that:
    • they have completed a PCR test not earlier than 72h upon entry, or
    • they are fully vaccinated, or
    • they have fully recovered from the coronavirus.

Croatia

  • EU citizens are allowed to enter Croatia if they have the EU digital COVID-19 certificate. If they do not have this document, they must provide:
    • a document proving that they completed either a PCR test or a rapid antigen test not earlier than 72h and 48h, respectively, upon entering the country, or
    • a document proving that they are fully vaccinated, or
    • a document proving that they have fully recovered from the coronavirus.
  • These documents are not obligatory for individuals working in the transport sector, but the regulations are susceptible to change.

Cyprus

  • All people entering Cyprus are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • All EU citizens are obliged to provide documents proving that they are fully vaccinated or that they completed a PCR test not earlier than 72h upon entering. It’s important to note that starting from January 10th, 2022 all people, including fully vaccinated individuals, will be obliged to complete a PCR test.

Czech Republic

  • All people entering the Czech Republic are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • For those arriving from low-risk countries it is obligatory to have proof of being fully vaccinated or to have completed the rapid antigen test.
  • For those arriving from high-risk countries it is obligatory to have proof of being fully vaccinated or to complete a PCR test before and after entering the country.

Denmark

  • Fully vaccinated EU citizens, who have proof of the vaccination, are allowed to enter Denmark without any obligatory testing. If you are not vaccinated, you must complete a test 24h before entering the country.
  • It’s important to note that COVID certificates are obligatory for all workers, including truck drivers that are coming from other states. Therefore, at loading / unloading sites you might be asked to show an eligible COVID-19 certificate.

Estonia

  • All people entering Estonia are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • Entry to Estonia is allowed only for those who:
    • are fully vaccinated, or
    • have fully recovered from the coronavirus, or
    • have completed a COVID-19 test the result of which is negative.

Finland

  • In order to enter Finland, you must provide:
    • proof that you are fully vaccinated and 14 days have passed since the last dose, or
    • proof that you have fully recovered from coronavirus and 6 months have passed since then.
  • Both - the recovered and the vaccinated - must also have completed a COVID-19 test 48h before entering and have proof of the negative result.

France

  • All people entering France are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • All EU citizens traveling to France are obliged to provide a certificate proving that they are fully vaccinated. If they are not vaccinated, they must complete one of the two tests:
    • A PCR test taken not earlier than 48h before entering the country,
    • A rapid antigen test taken not earlier than 24h before entering the country.
  • For those coming from the United Kingdom a PCR test is obligatory regardless of whether they are vaccinated. 

Germany

  • All people entering Germany are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • Everyone entering Germany must provide one of the following documents:
    • proof of having completed the rapid antigen test not earlier than 48h upon entering the country or the PCR test not earlier than 72h before entering the country, or
    • proof that you are fully vaccinated, or
    • proof that you have fully recovered from the coronavirus.
  • These documents are not obligatory for people working in the transport sector or those who are only transiting through Germany and spend less than 24h in the country. However, truck drivers are obliged to have a Green Pass in workplaces, e.g. in the loading / unloading sites.

Greece

  • All people entering Greece are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • Even if you are fully vaccinated you must complete a rapid antigen test not earlier than 24h upon entry or a PCR test not earlier than 72h upon entry.

Hungary

  • Entry to Hungary is allowed only for those who:
    • are fully vaccinated, or
    • have completed a PCR test in 72h or less before entering the country.
  • Travel restrictions are not applicable to people working in the transport sector and to those coming from the following countries:
    • Croatia;
    • Austria;
    • Romania;
    • Serbia;
    • Slovakia;
    • Slovenia;
    • Ukraine.

Ireland

  • All people entering Ireland are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • Even if you’re fully vaccinated, when entering Ireland you must have completed the rapid antigen test not earlier than 24h upon entering the country or the PCR test not earlier than 72h before entering the country. The rapid “self-tests” are not considered to be legitimate when entering Ireland. A negative test result is not obligatory for those coming from Northern Ireland if they haven’t visited any other countries in the past 14 days.

Italy

  • All people entering Italy are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • EU citizens are allowed to enter Italy only if they can provide documents proving that they are fully vaccinated or that they have fully recovered from the coronavirus. All individuals, including those who are fully vaccinated, are obliged to complete a PCR test not earlier than 48h upon entry or a rapid antigen test not earlier than 24h upon entry.
  • Green Pass is also obligatory for all truck drivers if they are responsible for loading / unloading trucks. Violation of this law may result in a fine of 1500€ or more.

Latvia

  • All people entering Latvia are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • Individuals arriving from the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Ireland, Germany or Russia must complete a PCR test or a rapid antigen test not earlier than 72h and 48h, respectively, before entering the country. This is also obligatory for fully vaccinated individuals.
  • Individuals arriving from other EU countries or Switzerland are not obliged to complete a COVID-19 test if they are fully vaccinated and have proof of vaccination. However, these regulations are susceptible to change.

Lithuania

  • All people entering Lithuania are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • Entry to Lithuania is allowed for those who are fully vaccinated or have completed a COVID-19 test the result of which is negative. 2 types of tests are allowed:
    • A PCR test taken not earlier than 72h before entering the country,
    • A rapid antigen test taken not earlier than 48h before entering the country.

Luxembourg

  • All individuals entering Luxembourg are obliged to show one of the following documents:
    • proof of having completed a PCR or a rapid antigen test not earlier than 72h and 48h, respectively, before entering the country, or
    • proof of being fully vaccinated, or
    • proof of having fully recovered from the coronavirus.

Malta

  • All people entering Malta are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • Entry to Malta is allowed only for those who:
    • are fully vaccinated, or
    • have completed a COVID-19 test not earlier than 72h before entering the country.
  • Unvaccinated individuals are obliged to quarantine for 14 days even if they have proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

Netherlands

  • If you’re not planning on spending more than 12h in the Netherlands and you have only transited through low-risk countries for less than 12h, a negative test result or a vaccination certificate is not obligatory.
  • If you intend on spending more than 12h in the Netherlands, you have to be fully vaccinated and have proof of a negative COVID-19 test result. This country accepts PCR tests completed not earlier than 48h before entering the country or rapid antigen tests completed not earlier than 24h before entering the country.

Spain

  • All people entering Spain are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • Entry to Spain is allowed only if:
    • a person is fully vaccinated and at least 14 days have passed since the last dose, or
    • a person has fully recovered from the coronavirus, or
    • a person has completed a rapid antigen test not earlier than 48h upon entry or a PCR not earlier than 72h upon entry.

United Kingdom

  • All people entering the United Kingdom are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • EU citizens are allowed to enter the United Kingdom only if they are fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test and have the necessary documentation to prove it.
    • Fully vaccinated individuals must register for a COVID-19 test 24 hours upon entry.
    • Unvaccinated individuals must register for two COVID-19 tests after entering the country.
  • For those who are only transiting through the United Kingdom a digital Passenger Locator Form as well as a negative test result are also compulsory.

Poland

  • All people entering Poland are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • All individuals entering Poland are susceptible to a 10-day quarantine. Exemptions for EU citizens are applicable if:
    • they are fully vaccinated and 2 weeks have passed since the last dose, or
    • they have fully recovered from coronavirus, or
    • they have completed a COVID-19 test not earlier than 48h before entering Poland. 

Portugal

  • All EU citizens traveling to Portugal are obliged to provide a certificate proving that they are fully vaccinated, have a negative COVID-19 test or have fully recovered from the coronavirus.
  • Those who choose to undergo a test must choose one of the two options:
    • A PCR test taken not earlier than 72h before entering the country,
    • A rapid antigen test taken not earlier than 48h before entering the country.

Slovakia

  • Everyone entering Slovakia must provide one of the following documents:
    • proof of having completed the rapid antigen test not earlier than 24h upon entering the country or the PCR test not earlier than 72h before entering the country. Rapid antigen test is allowed only if you are entering from the neighboring states. Or
    • proof that you are fully vaccinated, or
    • proof that you have fully recovered.

Slovenia

  • All people entering Slovenia are obliged to fill out the digital Passenger Locator Form (dPFL).
  • Everyone entering Slovenia must provide one of the following documents:
    • proof of having completed the rapid antigen test not earlier than 24h upon entering the country or the PCR test not earlier than 72h before entering the country, or
    • proof that you are fully vaccinated, or
    • proof that you have fully recovered, or
    • EU COVID Certificate.

Sweden

  • Everyone entering Sweden must provide one of the following documents:
    • proof of having completed a COVID-19 test the result of which is negative.
    • proof that they are fully vaccinated, or
    • EU COVID Certificate.
  • Sweden has implemented a 10-day quarantine for everyone entering the country. Exemptions are applicable to those who are fully vaccinated or have fully recovered from the coronavirus.

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