Belgium will once again adapt its travel rules for those entering the country from Friday 11 March, the Consultative Committee announced during a press conference.
Most Covid-19 restrictions currently still in force will disappear after the weekend when Belgium moves into 'code yellow'; a few days later the travel rules will also be relaxed again.
"Someone who is fully vaccinated and travelling within Europe will be able to do so very easily without too much paperwork," said Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke on Friday.
The general obligation to complete the Passenger Locator Form (PLF) will be lifted from 11 March. "The PLF only remains mandatory for those who travel to Belgium with a carrier from a third country that is not on the EU's so-called white list," he said.
Third countries on that list – non-European countries with very little virus circulation – are treated as European countries, and so the PLF no longer applies. "That white list may come as a bit of a surprise: the US, the UK or Japan are currently not included on that list," Vandenbroucke warned.
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For those travelling to Belgium who possess one of the three valid Covid-19 certificates (vaccination, test or recovery) there is no testing or quarantine requirement.
"For those travelling within Europe, it is relatively simple," said Vandenbroucke. "If you are entering Belgium and are not a Belgian resident, you need to show an EU Digital Covid Certificate (vaccination certificate no older than 270 days, recent negative test, or a recovery certificate). If you have one of the three, then you can get in here."
Belgian residents without a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate returning from a country with a 'dark red' colour on the European travel map or a non-EU country not on the white list, must still be tested on day one of arrival.
For people coming from countries or regions with a new Variant Of Concern (VOC), the current testing and quarantine rules remain unchanged.
A ban on entry remains in place for non-essential journeys by non-EU citizens residing in a third country not on the white list, unless they have a vaccination or recovery certificate. Additionally, an entry ban also remains in place for travellers coming from countries or regions with a new Variant Of Concern (very high-risk VOC zones).
