Netherlands and Germany refuse entry to Uk nationals for non-necessary vacation

Much more than a dozen British isles nationals have been refused entry to the Netherlands since 1 January simply because Britain is no lengthier exempt from Covid-similar limitations on non-necessary journey from outside the EU due to the fact it still left the bloc.



a person standing in a room: Coronavirus testing at Amsterdam Schiphol airport.


© EPA
Coronavirus testing at Amsterdam Schiphol airport.

A Dutch border power spokesman verified on Monday that up to 13 British citizens experienced been turned away at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport since Friday because their journeys ended up not needed and third-nation coronavirus restrictions now utilized.

The information came after British citizens residing in Spain had been barred from boarding flights in the British isles for the reason that the airline explained their pre-Brexit residency papers were being declared no extended legitimate, even though many others ended up refused entry to Germany.

There had been also experiences of travellers turned away from KLM flights from United kingdom airports to the Netherlands for the reason that they did not have a unfavorable test, their journey did not qualify as critical, or they could could not present proof of Dutch or EU residency.

Only a handful of countries with minimal coronavirus fees are exempt from EU guidelines barring non-vital site visitors from outside the bloc and European Economic Spot. The British isles was taken off from the list at the conclusion of the Brexit transition period of time.

“They all had a detrimental PCR test, but they forget about the standard rule that it ought to be a vital excursion, for instance for function or due to significant personalized conditions,” gendarmerie spokesman Robert van Kapel told the NOS public broadcaster.

“People from protected international locations are permitted to move, but the United kingdom is absolutely not a safe and sound country suitable now,” Van Kapel stated. He included that some of the travellers “only desired to stop by Amsterdam”, while just one man was setting up to fly from Schiphol to Spain for a skiiing holiday getaway. “That’s just not the intention now,” Van Kapel claimed.

EU member states agreed in Oct to adopt a European council proposal to make it possible for non-important travel from a small group of nations around the world with reduced degrees of Covid bacterial infections, together with Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea.

European nationals and British citizens dwelling in the EU can even now vacation from the Uk to the bloc with a current adverse examination and proof of home, when EU member states can in concept override the European council tips should they desire to.

Couple have, nonetheless, that means that as extensive as the restrictions continue being in spot, British nationals can now only enter the bloc in specific conditions, mainly for urgent family good reasons, research, or function – such as help workers, care staff, diplomats, healthcare experts, army personnel and transport personnel.

Given that the stop of the Brexit transition interval at midnight central European time on 31 December, travellers from Britain who have a valid reason to journey to the EU have to in any scenario also have at minimum 6 months left on their passport.

They can no more time use EU quickly-track passport control and customs lanes, and should be geared up to demonstrate a return ticket, provide proof that they have adequate dollars for your remain, and have their passport stamped.

On Sunday eight Britons living in Spain were being turned absent from a BA/Iberia flight to Madrid. The airline refused to accept their eco-friendly playing cards as proof of home regardless of assurances by the British and Spanish governments that the previous overseas countrywide identification (NIE) document and the new foreign ID card (TIE) have been valid.

A modest amount of British citizens had been also barred from entry into Germany. A Lufthansa spokesman mentioned the airline was mindful of a British citizen staying stopped from boarding a flight in the United kingdom following failing to demonstrate their residence in Germany.

Victoria Dobbie tweeted on Sunday that she was stopped from boarding a flight to Munich right after Lufthansa rejected her rental agreement, perform contract and her German tax quantity as adequate proof of residence.

Britons resident in Germany are not envisioned to receive new forms of residence documents confirming their status for various months and Germany’s federal law enforcement have claimed border team would also settle for rental or get the job done contracts as evidence.

There are concerns, nevertheless, that ground personnel at airports are not skilled to evaluate the validity of files and could demand from customers evidence inhabitants are not lawfully demanded to current. British in Germany, a campaign team, has created to the German embassy in London to categorical their problem.