EU Council safe countries list gets an update on July 16

The EU Council’s list of third-countries that are considered epidemiologically safe has been updated on July 16, 2020. The Council recommends the EU member states and Schengen states to allow nationals or residents from these countries to be allowed as with a visitor visa to enter their territories. Nevertheless, the final decision will be of the member states.

Before the July 16 update the prevalent list was that which was published on June 30, 2020. In the latest update, two countries: Serbia and Montenegro were removed. The rate of COVID-19 infections has increased in these countries and hence been dropped from the list.

The countries in the current ‘safe’ list are:

• Uruguay
• Tunisia
• Thailand
• South Korea
• Rwanda
• New Zealand
• Morocco
• Japan
• Georgia
• Canada
• China
• Australia
• Algeria

Chinese nationals or residents will be allowed to enter EU member states only if they reciprocate the exemption given to them.

The EU Council determines the epidemiological condition of the countries by looking at the number of new COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days. This number will be counted as per 100,000 residents below or close to the EU average. The Council will also consider the stable or decreasing trend of new cases over this 2-week period. This will be in comparison to the previous 2 weeks.

Most of the EU member states are complying with the Council’s recommendation. Among those applying the new recommendations are the following:

• Germany – Currently Germany permits entry for 7 countries without any restrictions. These are Uruguay, Tunisia, Thailand, New Zealand, Canada, Georgia, and Australia.
• Iceland – The third countries whose residents are allowed in Iceland are:
  • Uruguay
  • Tunisia
  • Thailand
  • South Korea
  • Rwanda
  • New Zealand
  • Morocco
  • Japan
  • Georgia
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • Algeria
• Italy – Italy currently allows residents of the following third countries into its territories:
  • Uruguay
  • Tunisia
  • Thailand
  • Republic of Korea
  • Rwanda
  • New Zealand
  • Morocco
  • Japan
  • Georgia
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • Algeria
• Luxembourg – The third countries whose residents Luxembourg has allowed to enter its boundaries are:
  • China
  • Uruguay
  • Tunisia
  • Thailand
  • South Korea
  • Rwanda
  • New Zealand
  • Morocco
  • Japan
  • Georgia
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • Algeria

China is subject to the EU level reciprocity clause.

• Sweden – Sweden is following the EU level exemption list.

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