EU set to open travel to unvaccinated Americans by end of week as summer tourism ramps up

Countries approved for travel to 27-member bloc based on factors including COVID-19 case rates, vaccination rates and the prevalence of variants.

By Brianna Kraemer

Published: June 16, 2021 1:39pm

Updated: June 17, 2021 10:27am

The European Union is recommending the U.S. be added to its approved-travel list, meaning American travelers — vaccinated or not — will soon be free to visit the bloc's 27 member countries, subject only to country-specific conditions such as mandatory quarantines or PCR tests, Politico reports.

Travel to Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic has been largely limited to select countries, but on Wednesday EU ambassadors agreed to expand access to include travelers from the U.S., North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Taiwan and Lebanon.

The easing comes as the European Commission announced last month its intention to lift inbound travel restrictions based on factors including COVID case rates, vaccination rates and the prevalence of variants in countries of origin.

Some countries in Europe including Greece and France have already lifted restrictions for American travelers.

Formal approval of the non-binding agreement is expected Friday.