Gatwick and Heathrow: Covid-19 entry requirements for Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden
Now that the travel rules have been simplified, you may be considering going abroad for the first time since the pandemic.
There are now simpler travel rules as the government scrapped green and amber lists in favor of a red list.
Whether you are traveling on holiday or reunited with family and friends living in another country, each destination has its own entry requirements that are separate from UK rules.
READ MORE: Are there medical exemptions from quarantine after red list visits?
So whether you are flying from Gatwick or Heathrow, you should know the entry requirements for the country you plan to stay in.
SurreyLive has looked at the entry requirements for Sweden, Italy and the Netherlands.
Read below to see what the respective eligibility requirements are.
Sweden
If you have a British vaccination certificate, you are exempt from Sweden’s entry ban and the requirement for a Covid-19 test.
You must have received your second dose of vaccine more than two weeks before your arrival and your vaccine must be approved by the European Medicines Agency.
Children traveling with fully vaccinated adults are exempt from travel restrictions and this includes testing.
But if you are not fully vaccinated and want to go to Sweden, you must prove a few more things.
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One is proof of another exception that would mean that you are exempt from the current travel ban. You should see the Police website for more information on this.
You should also have proof of a valid sample that should have been taken in the last 48 hours.
Or you should have proof that you are exempt from test requirements. Again, check out the police website for more information.
Upon arrival, you can expect to take a PCR test for Covid-19. This is recommended for British travelers traveling into Sweden.
If you are fully vaccinated at least three weeks before you arrive in Sweden, you are exempt from the test recommendation.
Italy
If you have proof that you are fully vaccinated, you are exempt from self-isolation when you arrive in Italy if you can also show proof of the following.
One, that you have filled in the form to find passengers before entering Italy. You can get a QR code and show it to your travel provider and the border police, or ask for a paper form.
You can also show evidence of a negative PCR or antigen test that must be taken within 48 hours before arriving in Italy.
If you are not vaccinated, you will need to follow a few additional steps to enter Italy.
These are:
- that you have filled in the passenger location form to get a QR code or paper form to show the travel provider and the border police
- show signs of a negative PCR or antigen test that you took at least 48 hours before arriving in Italy
- travel to your final destination in Italy by private transport only
- self-isolate for five days
- take a new PCR or antigen test at the end of your self-isolation period
Netherlands
The Dutch government does not allow non-EU or EEA citizens to enter the Netherlands for non-essential purposes. However, there are exceptions to entry restrictions if you can show that you are fully vaccinated.
The United Kingdom is considered a very high-risk country in the Netherlands. If you are a fully vaccinated British citizen and can provide vaccination evidence, you will be allowed to travel into the Netherlands.
Fully vaccinated travelers entering the Netherlands by plane, ferry, car, train or bus must show either a negative PCR test result or a negative antigen test result.
The PCR test must be taken no later than 48 hours before departure. The antigen test must have been taken no later than 24 hours before departure.
You will be released from quarantine when you arrive in the Netherlands if you are fully vaccinated.
There are separate rules if you are a British citizen who is legally resident in the Netherlands.
If this applies to you, you can travel to the Netherlands regardless of vaccination status.
You must still present your residence permit and a certificate of application.
You can also be questioned by the Dutch border authorities when you arrive.
If you are traveling from a country that the Dutch government counts as a list of safe countries, you do not need to show this.
There are additional exceptions that may apply to you as a UK citizen.
This includes partners of British citizens who have a Dutch residence permit, if the partner meets the criteria of the Dutch government and has a copy of his partner’s residence permit.
Close family members who visit either seriously or terminally ill patients, or those attending the funeral of a close family member, are also exempt. They must fill out a form in advance.
Grandparents visiting their newborn grandchildren – again, they have to fill out a form in advance.
Divorced parents who visit children who are minors must also fill in a form.
Children aged 12 and over arriving in the Netherlands from the United Kingdom by plane, ferry, car, train or bus must show a negative PCR or antigen test result.
The PCR test must have been taken no more than 48 hours before departure and the antigen test must be taken no more than 24 hours before.
They still apply to fully vaccinated children who travel.
If your child is 13 years and older and they are not fully vaccinated, they must isolate themselves for 10 days on arrival. This is also the case if they are traveling with fully vaccinated adults.
You can use the test to release the option after five days. If children are 12 years or younger, they are exempt from this mandatory quarantine.
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