Ocn Vw 1K

There seems some confusion over the thread's topic, including from the last post.

This thread topic is: what entry requirements are EU countries imposing on travelers coming from the U.S. Let's adhere to discussion of that topic, rather than discussing the Cleveland Clinic study or other, unrelated topics Thanks, Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator.

Tunapalooza

I just returned from a trip to Belgium and the Netherlands, entering and exiting the EU at CDG (SFO-CDG-SFO). I was able to obtain a EU digital COVID certificate from the French government, but never needed to use it outside of France. Netherlands had the least COVID restrictions with masks rarely seen inside or outside. Belgium required masks indoors. The Netherlands has now adopted relatively stringent constraints for travelers "entering or returning to the Netherlands from outside the EU/Schengen area." Clearly this would apply to someone arriving on a flight from the U.S. Since the U.S. is considered "very high risk," there are now quarantine, testing and other requirements.

However, the Netherlands has a different requirement for travelers "entering or returning to the Netherlands from the EU/Schengen area." What matters, it seems, is not your country of residence but the country from which you entered the Netherlands. If so, a person entering the Netherlands from Belgium (merely a high risk country) would need only proof of vaccination, such as a EU digital COVID certificate. This seems like a very large loophole. Am I reading this right?

I'll be returning to Belgium and the Netherlands later this year, again flying through CDG. (I travel with a dog. Air France has a reasonable policy. So does KLM in general, but no dogs in hold on 787 to AMS.) I hope that France will admit vaccinated Americans without quarantine or will allow onward travel to Belgium via rental car without quarantine. I don't mind a pre-departure COVID test.

FiveMileFinal

If ur vaxt, ur good.

Make sure you fill out a trip in the Spain Travel Health app also. You’ll need the QR code to show them at the border checkpoint when you get to Spain.

Flying Machine

Thanks! I will be in transit at YYZ and ZRH as part of my flight plan on this itinerary.. I’ll look into getting the QR code closer today dates of travel.

Lefly

Not exactly. You're entering the Netherlands through France and Belgium, but you're arriving from outside the EU/Schengen area.
Unless you have a 10 day stay in France and/or Belgium before entering the Netherlands, the rules from entering from outside EU applies.

gojko88

OTOH, once you're inside Schengen, there is virtually nothing to limit your movement. So unless your trip to the Netherlands is on a single ticket, you can indeed land at CDG from the US and take a leisurely flight/train to Amsterdam. It is a loophole of sorts.

Lefly

It's a "loophole of sort" as it would be not buying a public transport ticket because there are no checks on board.
That's not a loophole, it's just not following the rules.

soojin

Hello,

I'm a vaccinated American with travel plans to Europe next month--I could not really find a concrete answer, so please forgive me:

How does a vaccinated US traveler in Europe acquire the EU Digital COVID Certificate?

Also, I'll be flying from Copenhagen to Germany and then flying to Prague then training back to Germany. Will I have any issues flying into Czech Republic from Germany and/or taking the train to Germany from Czech Republic? I've been to Europe before, however, never visited more than one country on the same visit so I'm not sure how border control works on trains.

Thank you for your time.

vanillabean

See post #7.

Anyone received EU Covid QR in Spain with CDC Card

Carolinian

In Romania, where I am presently, the CDC card works fine as a "vaccine passport", but it is better to have the EU digital certification. The immigration lines are divided into a fast line for those with the EU digital certification on their phone, and a very S-L-O-W line for all other forms of proof of vaccination. Those with the EU digital form only have to show that to the passport control officer, while those with other forms of proof have to get the OK of the single Health Ministry official checking vaccination proof before being allowed to move on the the passport control officer.

I was somewhat surprised by the number of EU citizens in the slow line because their proof of vaccination was not digital.

The CDC cards seemed better accepted that whatever some of the Europeans were presenting. When the fast line was about the peter out, a passport control office came over to the still very long slow line and starting at the back of it started giving some approval slips to move to the fast line. Those of us with CDC cards were readily allowed to move to the fast line at that point, but most of the Europeans he checked around me had to stay in the slow line. I did not see what it was that they were presenting, but it did not allow them to move to the fast line.

Most everything is open in Romania, and while there is technically a mask requirement indoors, it is often ignored, especially by restaurants.

lobo411

I'm not, considering the number of faculty members here who still print out their email before answering! 😂

Deckter

There is no border control between the countries that you are visiting.

gudugan

Yes, this works if you want to show up in person in Madrid. Currently the only online one is France Expansion of the pass sanitaire but it's a dice roll if you get it or not. I submitted the form to France and still have received nothing (past my departure date).

Agree with all of the above, am currently in Romania. Used the "Fast line" with Covid QR, one staff member looked at it and the person stamping the passport scanned it. No slower than ordinary times.

downinit

There is generally no formal border control for intra-Schengen land crossings. However, many countries do have a requirement of completing a PLF before entering (including the countries mentioned), which may or may not be required depending on the country you are visiting and the country(s) you are coming from. Ultimately, your admissibility and any quarantine requirement would be indicated upon completion of the PLF. As the rules are constantly changing, make sure to keep on top of what the current rules are before departing. In practice, you will likely not be asked for the PLF when traveling via train/car, but you are still required to have completed it and to have the QR code from the PLF readily available if asked for it. Traveling via plane is a different story, and you will very ikely be asked for the PLF at check-in. When I traveled all over Europe in July/August via train, only one country (Slovakia) had a border check for COVID documents, and they only asked for my vaccination information (not for the PLF that was also required for entry via train). Things have changed quite a bit in the last month, almost entirely for the worse, especially for those of us from the USA.

vltg

​​​​​​​Were you successful?