Japan, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brunei, and Serbia will be removed of the EU safe travel list. Following a review under the recommendation on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU, the Council updated the list of countries, special administrative regions and other entities and territorial authorities for which travel restrictions should be lifted.
This week’s decision comes after the EU also removed Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the US from the safe list, which now numbers fewer than 20 nations worldwide.
The updated list of countries
From the 30 August this is the updated list of total countries which lifted restrictions:
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bosnia and Hercegovina
- Brunei Darussalam
- Canada
- Jordan
- New Zealand
- Qatar
- Republic of Moldova
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Ukraine
- China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity
Travel restrictions should also be gradually lifted for the special administrative regions of China Hong Kong and Macao.
Under the category of entities and territorial authorities that are not recognised as states by at least one member state, travel restrictions for Taiwan should also be gradually lifted.
Residents of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican should be considered as EU residents for the purpose of this recommendation.