The travel ban for the Netherlands as of 5 August 2020

The Netherlands has reinstated the travel ban for Algeria as of 5 August 2020 at midnight. This decision was taken based on a risk assessment with criteria that are as objective as possible regarding the health situation in Algeria and the measures put in place there. In this context, the number of new infections has been taken into account, among other things. That number must be lower than the European average of 15 June per 100,000 inhabitants over the past 14 days. The overall response to COVID-19 in the country concerned has also been considered. This includes the number of coronavirus tests carried out, source and contact tracing and control measures. Health organisations such as the ECDC, the WHO and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) provide the necessary information.

The lifting of the travel restriction that took effect on 1 July for travellers with permanent residence in Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay will remain in force. For travellers coming from China, the travel ban will be lifted as soon as China itself starts admitting EU citizens.

For all non-essential journeys of persons from other third countries (countries that are not part of the EU+ area) to Europe, the current travel restriction remains in place in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. This means that persons who do not have permanent residence in a country on the green list referred to above and who are not exempted from the travel restriction as described below will not be able enter the Netherlands.

As far as home self-isolation is concerned, a distinction is made between the different exemption categories. There is no urgent recommendation for home self-isolation for the first category of exemptions, but there is for the second category.

Exemption categories that are not subject to an urgent home self-isolation recommendation:

  • healthcare professionals;
  • cross-border commuters;
  •  in so far as necessary, people working in the transport of goods, and other transport workers. These are people who work on container ships, bulk carriers (e.g. transporting ore or coal), tankers (e.g. transporting fuels and chemicals), fishing boats; people who work in the energy sector, i.e. on oil and gas platforms and at wind parks, and for off-shore companies that provide services to this sector; and flight crews;
  • transit passengers travelling to another third country via the Netherlands or another Schengen country;
  • seafarers in possession of a seaman's record book. Seafarers on commercial yachts and pleasure craft are not exempted;
  • diplomats who are travelling in the performance of their duties;
  • - members of the armed forces who are travelling in the performance of their duties;
  • staff members of international organisations https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/internationale-organisaties-in-nederland/lijst-van-internationale-organisaties-in-nederland and humanitarian organisations;
  • people with compelling reasons to visit their family (exceptional cases). An exceptional case would be to visit a terminally ill family member and to attend their funeral. Family member is understood here to mean a first- or second-degree family member. Partners and children are first-degree family members, and grandchildren are second-degree.

Exemption categories for which there is an urgent recommendation for home self-isolation

  • EU citizens (including UK nationals), and their family members, including persons covered by the long-distance relationship scheme, https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/coronavirus-covid-19/reizen-en-op-vakantie-gaan/buitenlandse-toeristen-naar-nederland/tijdelijke-regeling-langeafstandsgeliefden;
  • nationals of Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, San Marino, Monaco, Vatican City and Andorra, and their family members;
  • third-country nationals holding a residence card or a residence permit in accordance with EU Directive 2003/109/EC concerning long-term residents, as well as their family members;
  •  third-country nationals whose right of residence is derived from other EU directives or the national law of a Member State, and their family members;
  • holders of a long-stay visa, including those with an authorisation for temporary stay (MVV);
  • persons in need of international protection; the border procedure shall apply in full;
  • persons admitted for humanitarian reasons;
  • students in possession of a notification letter from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service;
  • highly skilled migrants in possession of a notification letter from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service or a Dutch work permit for persons from outside the European Economic Area.