Press release 05/15/2021 | 8:00
The State Department has just changed the color code for a limited number of countries and regions from orange to yellow or green. This includes Portugal, Curaçao, Ireland and the Balearic Islands (see full list at the bottom of this letter). This means that travel to these destinations is no longer strongly encouraged by the government.
Foreign Affairs is talking about a step in the right direction. But he confirms that it is not true that travelers from the Netherlands are not exposed to any danger in these countries. It is important and still important to prepare themselves well for the trip and to keep themselves informed of developments during their stay and upon return. After all, the situation in a country can change quickly.
In addition, countries with a green and yellow color code themselves may decide to place entry restrictions on people coming from abroad. For example a negative test or a commitment to quarantine. If states don’t allow Dutch tourists, they’ll still be orange. All relevant information on this topic is posted on the site wijsopreis.nl And in the travel application of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The remaining European countries will remain orange for the time being, as it is a high risk region for COVID and the risk of contamination there is high. The government continues to strongly advise it not to travel to these countries.
Some countries outside of Europe also switched from orange to yellow last night. In this regard, the Council of Ministers follows the so-called Safe Countries List for the European Union. Travel advice for all countries can easily be found on the website wijsopreis.nl And in the travel application.
List of countries with modified travel advice:
Yellow: Finland, Ireland, Malta, Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira), the northern Aegean islands, the southern Aegean islands, the Ionian Islands, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Aruba, Curaçao, Saint Martin, Rwanda and Thailand
Green: Saba in Saint Eustatius
