EU Official Warned Vaccine Would Become a Travel Requirement Ten Months Ago

On April 14, in an article named “COVID-19 Test Results and Later on Vaccination Might Be Required for Schengen Visa Application” published by SchengenVisaInfo.com, the same reported on two things that would soon turn out to be what the future held for travellers within – and to – the EU and the Schengen Area.

First, testing for travelling to the Schengen Area, and second, vaccination once a vaccine was approved and available.

In an exchange of emails with the medium, an EU official had confirmed that both requirements would sooner or later become mandatory for visa application and travel.

“When the Schengen Borders open up in September, if they do, Schengen Visa applicants may need to submit a Coronavirus test that has resulted negative, taken within the last two weeks prior to the visa application. The traveller may be required to take a new test before travelling to the Schengen area, as to make sure that he/she has not been infected in the meantime,” the source said.

Though the borders did not reopen in September, but rather in July for a very limited number of countries and categories, those eligible to travel to the block had to present COVID-19 tests upon arrival. Those in need of visas also were required to do the same, or else be quarantined.

As time passed, tests became obligatory even for travellers willing to quarantine, thus confirming the official’s statements.

At the time, the official also noted that once the COVID-19 vaccine is confirmed and available for all, visa applicants would also be required to be vaccinated in the future.

After the EU approved its first safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19 on December 21, and the EU and Schengen members moved on to rollout vaccination in their territory, many of them warned they would soon start issuing vaccination certificates.

Some of them weren’t very clear whether they would impose such a requirement for incoming travellers, like Spain, Greece and Denmark, as they only said that they would be issuing these certificates to their own citizens so that they can travel to the countries which apply the requirement of vaccination.

On the other hand, countries as Cyprus and Iceland have revealed they are set to permit vaccinated persons to enter their territory restriction-free, at least those coming from the EU and Schengen Area.

The same official, who was asked whether the EU was aware of the vaccination certificates back in April 2020, clarified that while the EU knew vaccines had to become a requirement sooner or later, it was obvious that some kind of document would also be required to prove one had been vaccinated against COVID-19.

“It’s not that someone said ‘Okay guys, months from now we will have to impose a vaccination certificate in order to restore travel within the block.’ Things don’t work out like that.

It’s just that, at the moment that the freedom of movement was halted as never before, we were all aware – and agreed – that in order to enable people to travel again, the requirement of a vaccine would sooner or later become necessary,” the official said.

Yesterday, in a video conference of the members of the European Council, the latter agreed to work on a standardised and interoperable form of proof of vaccination for medical purposes, while a press release of the Council noted that “the leaders would determine at a later stage in what circumstances these certificates could be used.”

It is obvious that by the end of 2021, travelling throughout the European Union and the Schengen Area restriction-free with a COVID-19 vaccination certificate will become the norm.

Moreover, if the EU really makes vaccines obligatory, insurance providers may refuse to cover them as representatives of some of the biggest travel insurance providers for Europe, AXA, Europ Assistance, and DR-WALTER have confirmed for SchengenVisaInfo.com that if the EU makes vaccination obligatory for travellers to be eligible to enter its territory, then they would update their policies in compliance with the EU regulations.

WTTC: Unvaccinated Travellers Should Not Be Discriminated Against

The World Travel and Tourism Council, a forum for the travel and tourism industry made up of members from the global business community, does not support the move of some countries planning to open the borders to vaccinated travellers, and to keep them shut for others.

According to its President and Chief Executive Officer Gloria Guevara, while only a small share of the world population has received the vaccine, it will take time to vaccinate them all.

“It will take a significant amount of time to vaccinate the global population, particularly those in less advanced countries, or in different age groups; therefore we should not discriminate against those who wish to travel but have not been vaccinated,” she said, noting that those who are unvaccinated should be permitted to travel by getting tested for COVID-19.

She believed that it is “a common-sense approach” to permit travelling those who do not have COVID-19 by presenting test results, calling the idea of a blanket vaccination requirement “a discrimination against non-vulnerable groups.”

“WTTC has long been calling for an internationally recognised rapid and cost-effective testing regime at departure points worldwide. This would avoid exporting the virus and aid the restoration of international travel,” she noted.

Guevara once again reiterated the call that the WTTC and other travel organisations have made for months now on the EU and other governments, to reopen the borders for those holding negative results of COVID-19 tests.

Previously, the same had noted that if world governments wait for the majority of people to be vaccinated, it may be too late for this industry and those working in it, urging for a quick restoration of international travel without waiting for vaccinations.

Ten months ago, in April 2020, an EU official had told SchengenVisaInfo.com that once a vaccine against COVID-19 was approved, travellers to the block would be required to show proof they have taken the vaccine in order to be permitted to enter any of the Member States.

Now, several world countries have warned that they are preparing “vaccination passports” for those who receive the COVID-19 vaccine, like Denmark, while others have announced they will permit to enter travellers who have proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, like Cyprus.

Moreover, Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called on the European Commission to introduce a Coronavirus vaccination certificate in order to facilitate travel between the bloc but has received no response so far.

Austria Ready to Send More Police Officers to Protect External Border

Austria’s Interior Minister Karl Nehammer has announced that the country is ready to send more police forces to protect the external border, stressing that it could also provide two million euros for the accommodation and care of migrants.

Minister Nehammer’s comments came during his meeting which was held on August 25, in Greece, with the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis as well as the Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi regarding the current migration situation, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

“Austria is always ready to send more police officers to help protect the external border in Greece,” said Interior Minister Karl Nehammer during his two-day visit to Greece. After the ministerial conference on combating illegal migration in July 2020 in the Vienna Hofburg on August 25 and 26, 2020, the interior minister got an idea of ​​the migration and border situation, including in Athens, the border area on the Evros and the island Chios. Austria is offering Greece two million euros for the accommodation and medical care of migrants on the islands,”  the minister pointed out.

Minister Nehammer expressed his support to the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Greek’s government work on handling the migration issue.

“We want to support Greece to the best of our ability. This type of partnership is precisely in line with the coordination platform against illegal migration that was decided in Vienna at the ministerial conference,” he added.

Earlier this month, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) announced that 99 vulnerable asylum applicants were relocated from Greece and Cyprus to  Finland and Germany.

The European Union Border Protection Agency Frontex had announced that the number of citizens attempting to cross Europe’s external borders illegally decreased about 15 per cent in the first seven months of 2020, compared to the same period last year.

Since 2005, the border between Greece and Turkey in the north and the northeastern Aegean Sea islands continues to have a large number of migrants as well as refugees who seek to enter into Greece.

According to the Migration and Asylum Ministry data, Greece has about 100,000 asylum seekers, currently.

Berlin’s BER Airport Needs 300 Million Euros to Avoid Bankruptcy

The Berlin Brandenburg International airport BER needs a € 300 million cash injection by October 31; otherwise, it could go bankrupt.

The airport which plans to open on October 31, after years of delays risks bankruptcy if the amount of money would not be immediately transferred to the airport’s operator Flughafen Berlin-Brandenburg (FBB), SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

Federal Finance State Secretary Bettina Hagedorn, from the Social Democrats (SPD), addressed a letter to the budget committee of the Bundestag, to ask for extra funding for the airport.

Of the needed € 300 million funding, € 99 million would be transferred immediately, while the further € 201 million to be paid as a loan.

However, according to a report published by Berlin’s Tagesspiegel newspaper, this amount of money would not be the key to solving the problem. In the “worst-case scenario”, BER could need a total of 700 million euros, if the number of passengers does not increase.

“Without the financing commitment of the shareholders, FBB’s solvency would not have been secured for 2020. FBB needs part of the committed funds to ensure its liquidity … by October 2020 at the latest,” Hagedorn emphasized in the letter.

The Brandenburg’s cabinet has urged for the draft budget for 2021 to be passed on Tuesday, which must also include the financial help for FBB.

Finance Minister Katrin Lange (SPD) had previously stressed: “As shareholders, we have a duty to protect the company from bankruptcy.”

FBB could lack nearly 1.5 billion euros by 2024.

Earlier this week, European airports and airlines, together with slot coordinators, agreed to follow several conditions through which the “use-it-or-lose-it” rule could be applied in the 2020-2021 winter season.

In July, Frankfurt’s airport announced that the number of passengers had decreased by 79 per cent from July 20 to 26, compared to the same period in 2019.

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UK Artists Urge Their Government to Negotiate for Visa-Free Travel Across EU Countries

Over 219,600 people, including many famous musicians, actors and comedians of the United Kingdom have signed a petition urging their government to negotiate for a free cultural work permit to allow them to perform in the European Union countries.

The online petition initiated by video director Tim Brennan demands visa-free travel throughout the European Union for musicians, bands, TV and sports celebrities as well as other professionals, in order to facilitate their movement, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

As the United Kingdom is officially outside the European Union, artists fear that they will “face further hardship when trying to tour the EU on a professional basis, with potentially each country asking for its visa, that would be valid only for one trip.”

“This will become impossible due to cost and time if we do not have visa-free travel,” the petition reads.

From now on, artists could be subject to additional visa costs and other requirements; thus, some fear that music tours could now be at risk.

Since January 1, 2021, the United Kingdom nationals must have a visa for stays of a more extended period than 90 days in a 180-day period. They could also face restrictions on their activities, while previously they were eligible to travel to the European Union countries freely.

Some EU countries like Italy, Denmark and Spain require additional permits; therefore, these different rules applied in other countries could also bring new complications.

The music industry brings about £5.8bn to Britain’s economy. In 2019, nearly 20 per cent of live music contributed to that figure, even though the music industry has also been affected profoundly by the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to the trade body, the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), it was “deeply concerned about the absence of visa-free travel provisions for working musicians”.

The professional body for musicians stressed that the current situation would bring enormous implications for Britain’s musicians who work within the EU, as the ISM’s most recent Brexit report highlighted that 78 per cent of musicians visit EU/EEA at least once a year to perform.

“It is hugely disappointing to see that musicians and other creatives will not be covered by visa-free short-term business trip provisions. After everything that the sector has been through over the past ten months, how has this happened? It is high time that the value of music to our lives and our economy is recognised fully,” the ISM chief executive, Deborah Annetts, pointed out in this regard.

The United Kingdom’s government has continuously urged other countries to be prepared for its new points-based immigration system, which has been initiated in order to treat people worldwide equally.

As for the EU Settlement Scheme, which permits EU, EEA and Switzerland citizens together with their families to continue to live in the United Kingdom post-Brexit, the Home Office previously announced that more than four million applications had been submitted.

UK Students Will No Longer Be Able to Participate in Erasmus+ Programme

Failure of the UK to reach an agreement on its post-Brexit membership will affect students from Britain, disabling them from participating in the Erasmus exchange program.

As a substitute, the UK has announced its new scheme, which according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will connect UK’s universities with the best universities in the world, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

The scheme, worth £100 million, will be named the Turing scheme, after the British computing pioneer Alan Turing, and it will offer the chance to students to attend not only universities in Europe but also the best universities across the world.

As per the UK leaving Erasmus+, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex, Adam Tickell, said that the decision means a real loss as the Erasmus programme has changed the lives of thousands of youngsters over the years.

Almost a year ago, back in January, Prime Minister Johnson guaranteed MPs that there isn’t any threat to UK’s Erasmus membership. However, after confirming the end of the UK’s membership in Erasmus, Johnson argued that the UK “loses out” financially due to the high number of EU nationals who come to pursue studies in the United Kingdom.

“So what we are doing is producing a UK scheme for students to go around the world,” he added.

According to Vivienne Stern, the Director of Universities UK International, despite the fact that the decision on not remaining in Erasmus is disappointing, it is not surprising that the European Commission decided to negotiate the costs of the membership.

“As I understand it, there will be grants for young people not just in universities but broader than that, to support study and possibly working and volunteering. These experiences help graduates gain employment, especially for students from low-income backgrounds who are the least likely to be able to travel abroad otherwise,” Stern noted.

According to a previous report published this year, ending the Erasmus membership could cost the United Kingdom over £200 million a year.

Earlier this month, the European Parliament and the German Presidency of the Council have reached a provisional deal to expand the Erasmus+ program for the period 2021-2027, through which will benefit up to 12 million youngsters.

Since 1987, the Erasmus program has offered student exchanges and school links, work experience and apprenticeships in European countries. About 200,000 people, along with 15,000 British university students, have participated in the programme under the latest version of the scheme.

Netherlands Obliges travelers to present negative COVID-19 test results on arrival from the EU/Schengen region

Starting on Tuesday 29 December, all those coming from another Member State of the European Union or the Schengen Region in the Netherlands would be obliged to send a document showing that they had been screened for COVID-19 during the last 72 hours prior to their arrival and had a negative result.

The Dutch government has confirmed the decision, adding that the new provision applies to Dutch nationals as well as to other EU and Schengen nationals.

'If a passenger is unable to obtain a negative test result, he is not allowed to fly to the Netherlands and is not permitted to board an airplane or ferry,' the government states in a press release outlining the new condition.

Test findings in five languages will be recognized by the authorities: English, German, French, Spanish or Dutch. The test must be either a molecular PCR test or a SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 test, as no other forms of tests are approved.

The record must include the first and last name of the passenger, as shown in their passport, the date and time of the examination, as well as the results. The name and contact details of the laboratory where the test was performed must also be included.

Only arrivals from Iceland, as the latter is currently considered a safe country by the Dutch authorities, will be exempted from the measure.

The following groups of arrivals would also be excluded from the measure.

• Children aged twelve and younger
• People from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and China, countries on the EU list of safe countries (subject to confirmation of reciprocity)
• Cross-border passengers (including students and school children)
• Diplomatic identification cardholders issued by the Dutch Foreign Ministry
• Holders of non-Dutch diplomatic passports
• Dutch holders of diplomatic passports who are traveling as part of their work
• Heads of state and international government representatives
• Persons who work in the transport sector of goods and other important transportation staff
• Seafarers who keep the log book of a seaman, traveling as part of their work
• Air passengers on flights that do not have a destination at a Dutch airport but are obligated to land at a Dutch airport due to unexpected circumstances.
• Passengers who hold a NATO Travel Order or a visa for NATO-2

At the same time, those arriving in the Netherlands on international intercity trains are also excluded from the ban and coaches are not expected to present a negative test result.

'Currently, people arriving by car in the Netherlands do not need to present a negative test result,' the government points out.

It also states that no alternative for self-quarantining is a negative test outcome. Individuals with a negative test outcome should still be self-quarantined in the Netherlands for 10 days upon entry.

Arrivals with positive, delayed or no outcomes from tests

The authorities have clarified what would happen when arrivals fail to submit a paper on the results of their tests upon arrival, or for those who have tested positive and have traveled to the Netherlands anyway.

Although the government needs travelers to send the results of a test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival, anyone whose travel is delayed without fault will be extended to 96 hours for this duration.

"This provides an additional 24 hours for the rider. "The passenger is responsible for proving that the time limit was exceeded because of a delay that was not their own fault," states the government.

If an air passenger does not have a negative test result before departure, he/she will not fly to the Netherlands and he/she may not be allowed to board the aircraft.

They won't be able to fly anywhere, including to the Netherlands, according to those who tested positive for COVID-19. This refers to Dutch nationals as well.