These are the countries welcoming vaccinated tourists for a quarantine-free stay

Gulf Today Report

For those of you who have received the coronavirus vaccine jab and are itching to travel, here’s some glimmer of hope.

A whole list of countries is throwing open their borders to inoculated travellers.

The airline industry is playing its part in this travel revival too, pushing the World Health Organization (WHO) to confirm that it’s safe for people to fly without quarantining if they’ve got the Covid-19 vaccine shot.

Getting the go-ahead from the WHO is a key step towards developing a global “digital travel pass” to enable safe international travel, according to the International Air Transport Association (Iata).

Below are the destinations welcoming vaccinated holidaymakers.

Estonia

Estonia has become the latest nation to offer quarantine exemption for travellers who have recovered from Covid-19 or who have been vaccinated against the virus.

According to the Foreign Office, proof of recovering from Covid-19 should be a doctor’s certificate that includes the time, location, methodology and result of the analysis, as well as the details of “the institution that conducted the analysis.”

Vaccinated travellers will need to provide “an immunisation passport,” even though there is no international agreement on such a document, or a vaccination certificate with a similar level of detail to the doctor’s certificate.

The Seychelles

After months of being dormant, holiday business in the Seychelles is finally getting kick-started.

The heavily tourism-dependent archipelago is getting rid of quarantine requirements altogether for visitors who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The country will be welcoming fully vaccinated visitors from anywhere in the world, although they must still also present a negative Covid PCR test result taken with 72 hours of travel.

The island nation is also doing away with the 10 days self-isolation on arrival mandate for vaccinated travellers

To be considered as vaccinated, visitors must have received both doses of any of the four main vaccines – Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Janssen — and waited two weeks after the second dose for the inoculation to take effect.

As proof, visitors will need to submit an “authentic certificate from their national health authority.”

  Georgia was the first country to fully remove entry restrictions for vaccinated passengers.

Georgia

As of Feb.1, all international tourists can enter Georgia as long as they have received both doses of their Covid-19 vaccine and can provide proof.

Georgia is the first country to fully remove entry restrictions for vaccinated passengers —no testing pre-departure, no testing on arrival, and no quarantine.

“As for foreign visitors, they will be able to enter Georgia unconditionally if they submit a full course of any type of covid-vaccine, which means two full doses, if they present a document at the border,” according to the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Romania

Romania has announced that travellers who have received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine will not need to quarantine on arrival, effective immediately.

In a document issued last month, the country’s National Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU) announced that people coming from countries or areas of high epidemiological risk, or who have come into direct contact with someone who’s tested positive for Covid, are exempt from quarantine measures if they are fully vaccinated.

That means they’ve had two doses of the vaccine, and at least 10 days have passed since the second dose was administered before arrival into Romania.

Incoming visitors will need to show proof of this through a “document issued by the health unit which administered it, from Romania or from abroad.” However, there’s no indication which of the vaccines will be acceptable.

Cyprus

In December, Cyprus became the first European Union Member State to announce it was planning to abolish entry requirements like testing and quarantine for travellers who get vaccinated against Covid-19.

However, the government plan is not set to come into force until March, when vaccinated travellers will not need to meet other Covid-related entry rules as part of a bid to restart tourism.

Cyprus Transport Minister Yiannis Karousos revealed the plan in the Cyprus Mail.

“The amended action plan is expected to further boost the interest of airline companies to carry out additional flights to Cyprus, improve connectivity and increase passenger traffic,” he said.

Those who have not been vaccinated must continue to meet testing and quarantine requirements to enter Cyprus.