While the Dutch government still encourages the people of the Netherlands to “travel wisely” and remember that travel advice could change at any time, the restrictions in place for a number of European countries have recently been relaxed as a result of falling coronavirus numbers across the continent. 

Dutch government relaxes travel advice

Since Thursday, the travel advice for the following seven European countries changed from orange (high risk, only necessary travel) to yellow (limited measures against coronavirus):

• Germany
• Italy
• Luxembourg
• Austria
• Poland 
• Slovakia
• The Czech Republic

A total of 26 countries are now classified as yellow. The full list can be found here.

This change means that travellers from the above countries will no longer be required to present a recent negative coronavirus test before returning to the Netherlands. Travellers will also not be required to go into quarantine upon arrival in the Netherlands. 

In spite of this relaxation, the government once again has reminded anyone who hopes to travel this summer to keep an eye on the coronavirus restriction in place both in the Netherlands and in their destination country, as countries coded yellow or green by the Dutch government could still impose additional restrictions on travellers from the Netherlands.

Travellers from the UK now required to quarantine

In less good news, the government has also announced that a number of countries have been added to the mandatory quarantine list as a result of the spread of new and worrying coronavirus variants:

• The United Kingdom
• Bangladesh
• Pakistan
• Myanmar
• Nepal

Health Minister Hugo de Jonge has announced that anyone travelling to the Netherlands from one of these five countries is required to quarantine upon arrival from Tuesday, June 15. 

Travellers will be expected to present a completed quarantine statement, and anyone travelling by plane or ship will also have to present a recent negative PCR test (max. 72 hours old) and negative rapid test (max. 24 hours old). Failing to adhere to the government’s mandatory quarantine rule will result in a 339-euro fine.