The Netherlands began easing restrictions and reopened its borders to travelers from the U.S. in June after a long COVID-19 lockdown. While the country is still open to travelers from the U.S., traveling there just got more difficult.
On August 30, the European Union recommended that member states should reimplement travel restrictions for visitors from the U.S. due to increasing numbers of COVID-19 in the U.S. Within days, the government of the Netherlands moved the U.S. onto its list of countries that pose a “very high-risk” due to increasing cases of COVID-19. The change now prohibits unvaccinated tourists from the U.S. from entering the Netherlands and requires both testing and a quarantine period for those who are fully vaccinated.
According to The New York Times COVID tracker, 62 percent of all Americans over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated. However, the daily average of new cases in the U.S. is 132,135.
“The country is averaging more than 1,500 deaths a day for the first time since March,” according to the COVID tracker. “Daily death totals have more than quintupled since the start of August, though they remain well below the peak levels from last winter.”
Requirements To Enter The Netherlands
If you plan to travel to the Netherlands, here’s what you now need to know.
First, all travelers from the U.S. must be fully vaccinated. Those travelers must fill out a quarantine declaration. All travelers over the age of 12 must also present proof of a negative PCR or antigen test performed within 24 hours prior to their departure to gain entry to the Netherlands, the government explains.
Now, here’s the complicated part. All travelers from the U.S. must self-quarantine for 10 days at home or in their accommodation once they arrive in the Netherlands. The government does note, however, that if a traveler gets tested after day 5 of their quarantine and receives a negative test result, they “might be able to shorten the quarantine period.”
Important Quarantine Exemptions
Interestingly, travelers may be exempt from the quarantine requirement for a number of reasons. For instance, children under 12 years of age are exempt from quarantining, as are people traveling through the Netherlands in less than 12 hours or people in the Netherlands on a layover during travel.
People traveling to the Netherlands to attend a funeral are also exempt from the quarantine requirement. Another exempt class of travelers is those who are traveling to the Netherlands to “reunite with family members after a long period of separation due to the COVID-19 pandemic or a visit to a sick family member.”
You can learn more about exemptions to the mandatory quarantine requirement here.
Know Before You Go
The U.S. State Department has issued a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” notice for the Netherlands due to high levels of COVID-19.
Also, it should be pointed out that, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, just over 62 percent of the Netherlands’ population is fully vaccinated. However, the Netherlands is averaging 2,600 new cases of COVID-19 every day.
While you’re thinking about it, be sure to check out the rest of our Netherlands coverage. You can also find a country-to-country guide about traveling to Europe here.