EU Safe List: EU Removes 2 Countries from Safe List

The Council of the European Union announced the decision to take Singapore and Ukraine out of the safe third countries on 9 November.

The removal of the countries means that the Council recommends for EU members to reintroduce a temporary entry ban for non-essential travel for visitors from Singapore and Ukraine.

According to the recommendation, member states have the option to not impose temporary restrictions on fully vaccinated travellers entering the EU from countries that are not on its safe list.

It is reminded that the European Council’s recommendation is not a legally binding instrument. In view of this, the immediate impact remains unclear.

On the factors considered when deciding whether to recommend travel restrictions for a particular country, the EU said:

They cover the epidemiological situation and overall response to COVID-19, as well as the reliability of the available information and data sources. Reciprocity should also be taken into account on a case-by-case basis.

Restrictions Imposed on Travellers from Singapore

On 11 November, Denmark announced it will impose 10-day quarantine measures for arrivals from Singapore as the country was considered high risk.

Furthermore, unvaccinated and unrecovered travellers from Singapore are required to get tested upon arrival. Testing rules apply to all travellers regardless of vaccination status as Singapore’s vaccination certificate is not recognised by the EU authorities, the Danish Embassy in Singapore has revealed.

France also removed Singapore from its safe travel list, whereas Spain has imposed an entry ban for unvaccinated and unrecovered travellers from Singapore unless they are travelling for essential purposes.

Weeks before the latest EU recommendation, Germany already tightened entry restrictions for travellers from Singapore.

Meanwhile, Singapore opened Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) with 10 countries in Europe: Denmark, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and the United Kingdom.

Third Countries on EU Safe List

The EU Council’s list of epidemiologically safe third countries is a list of non-EU/EEA countries that are considered safe amid the pandemic, due to the low rates of COVID infections.

It is recommended that EU member states reopen their borders for non-essential travel from outside the bloc after an EU-wide entry ban had been in place since mid-March.

The following third countries are on the EU Safe List:

Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Jordan, Kuwait, Namibia, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, China (subject to confirmation of reciprocity)

EU member states are also advised to gradually lift travel restrictions for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

The EU's safe list of countries is reviewed every two weeks.

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