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Ban on flights from India, South Africa and countries in Central and South America

There is a ban on passenger flights from India, South Africa and countries in Central and South America. New, highly infectious variants of coronavirus are present in these countries. The purpose of the flight ban is to prevent the further spread of these variants in the Netherlands. The ban is due to remain in place until 15 May 2021.

Countries subject to the flight ban

Flights from the following countries have been banned:

  • India 
  • South Africa
  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Chile
  • Colombia
  • Dominican Republic
  • Ecuador
  • French Guiana
  • Guyana
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Suriname
  • Uruguay
  • Venezuela

Air freight will continue

Air freight transport is exempt from the flight ban.

Travel to the Netherlands or to Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba: contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Dutch embassy

If you need to return by air or sea to the Netherlands or to Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba because of an emergency, contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Dutch embassy in the country where you are staying. The Ministry or the embassy will try to help you as best they can. But it is not certain that you will be able to return quickly.

Exemptions from the flight ban

The following people are exempted:

  • Healthcare workers, people travelling for medical treatment and people carrying out vital work to help combat COVID-19.
  • Seafarers who possess a seaman’s record book if they are travelling in the exercise of their work or travelling to or from their work. The exemption does not apply to seafarers on commercial yachts and pleasure craft.
  • Staff travelling to and from drilling platforms in Dutch or UK territory.
  • People who work in the aviation industry who are travelling in the exercise of their work.
  • People returning to the Netherlands by aircraft, if they are Dutch nationals or residents of the Netherlands. This also applies to nationals and residents of other EU/Schengen countries, but only if they are transiting to another EU/Schengen country and not if the Netherlands is their final destination. The Dutch government will not be arranging repatriation flights. 

The flight ban is due to remain in place until 15 May 2021 but may be ended sooner if there are grounds for doing so.