Travel Bans That You Need To Be Aware Of: Part 2

As detailed in the previous blog The European Union on Tuesday the 17th of March, 2020- presented temporary limitations on nonessential travel to and from the EU, as part of its efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Monday 16th of March, 2020.

This follows the United States’ decision to suspend travel into the US from 28 European countries.

With the World Health Organization pronouncing the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic last week, countries round the world have been revising their entry policies.

Below are the restrictions in place at some key destinations, continued from the previous post. We’ll be updating this story as the situation develops.

Hungary

Hungary has closed its borders to non-nationals.

India

All travellers from the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom are banned from entering India from midnight March 18 local time.

Currently, all tourist visas are suspended and a 14-day quarantine is enforced on all travelers, including returning Indian nationals, arriving from or having visited China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.

Indonesia

Apart from Indonesian nationals and residents, passengers and airline crew who have been in China, or affected regions of Italy, South Korea and Iran in the past 14 days are not allowed to enter or transit through Indonesia.

Italy

Passengers arriving as tourists are not allowed to enter via airports in the following areas: Alessandria, Asti, Lombardy, Modena, Novara, Padova, Parma, Pesaro and Urbino, Piacenza, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Treviso-Venice, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola and Vercelli.

Japan

Japan is banning entry on passengers who have been in affected regions of China, South Korea or Italy within the last 14 days. Japanese nationals are exempt, as are their spouses and children, if the relations are verified.

Citizens are advised not to travel to all of Iceland, as well as some provinces of Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.

Jordan

Jordan’s Prime Minister Omar al Razaz on Saturday announced the suspension of all air travel of incoming and outgoing into the kingdom starting March 17 until further notice with the exception of air cargo.

Razaz announced the closure of all the land, sea and air borders to travellers except the members of diplomatic missions and international organizations who will be exempt as long as they abide by the Ministry of Health stipulations for the 14 days of self-quarantine.

Laos

Laos has closed all land borders and suspended visa-on-arrival and e-visa application, Lao News Agency reports.

Macau

The Macau government has introduced several measures including denying entry to visitor who have been to China’s Hubei province within the past two weeks, unless they can provide a medical certificate stating they have not been infected with coronavirus.

Travelers who have visited South Korea, Italy or Iran in the 14 days prior to their arrival are required to undertake a 14-day medical observation at a designated venue.

Those who’ve travelled to Germany, France, Spain and Japan within 14 days of arriving will need to submit to a medical examination as well as a 14-day medical observation at a designated venue.

Residents of Macau currently in any of the affected areas will be requested to self-isolate for two weeks upon their return.

Malaysia

From March 18, citizens will be banned from traveling abroad, with foreign tourists and visitors restricted from entering the country.

Mexico

A ban on non-essential travel across the US-Mexico border will be announced March 20, said Chad Wolf, US Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary, on March 19.

Morocco

Morocco has decided to suspend all international flights to and from its territory “until further notice” as part of measures to tackle the coronavirus, its Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday.

It came a day after the North African kingdom said it was suspending all flights to and from Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Belgium. It was not immediately clear if the suspension went into immediate effect.

New Zealand

Starting the night of March 19, New Zealand will ban any foreign citizens from entering the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in a news conference on Wednesday.

The travel ban will now apply to those coming from the Pacific Islands, who had previously been exempt from restrictions.

It will also close off travel between New Zealand and Australia for the majority of citizens in the two countries, who are typically able to travel back and forth without a visa.

“A small number of exemptions to the new measures can be sought for humanitarian reasons, essential health workers and citizens of Samoa and Tonga who need to travel to New Zealand for essential reasons,” Ardern said.

New Zealanders’ partners, legal guardians or any dependent children traveling with them may also return.

Nigeria

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control tweeted March 18 that the Nigerian government is “restricting entry into the country” for travellers from China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, the US, Norway, the UK, Netherlands and Switzerland.

Visas on arrival would also be suspended for travellers from these countries.

The restrictions will come into effect on March 20. The center tweeted, “All travelers returning from these countries prior to the restriction will be in supervised self-isolation, monitored by NCDC and Port Health Services.”

Norway

Anyone traveling to Norway from outside the Nordic region must self-isolate for two weeks, according to the Norwegian Health Directorate. The restrictions put in place March 12 are scheduled to last until March 26.

Peru

Starting March 16, Peru is temporarily suspending flights from and to Europe and Asia for a 30-day period.

Philippines

The Philippines has been placed under a state of calamity for six months.

The airline Cebu Pacific is cancelling all flights — domestic and international — from March 19 through April 14.

In Luzon, the archipelago’s largest island, all mass public transportation has been suspended.

Russia

Nationals of China, Hong Kong, Macau, Iran and Italy are now allowed in Russia, but exemptions are made for airline crew and foreign nationals resident in Russia.

Passengers who have been in China, France, Germany, South Korea or Spain and are planning to stay in Moscow must report themselves to the authorities by phone and stay self-isolated for 14 days.

Russia will close its border with Belarus because of the pandemic, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said March 16, following the earlier closure of its land border with China.

Rwanda

National airline RwandAir is suspending all flights for 30 days, beginning midnight on March 20.

Samoa

Samoa requires all arrivals, including residents, to undergo a medical examination within three days before arrival.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia will shut down all domestic flights and public transportation — including buses, taxis and trains — for 14 days starting from March 21, the country’s state news agency SPA reported.

The country has already suspended all international flights for two weeks beginning March 15.

Singapore

All travelers entering the country will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day home quarantine starting March 21.

Visitors will also be required to provide proof of the place where they will serve the quarantine.

Rules banning entry for travellers who have been in France, Germany, Italy, Iran, the Republic of Korea and Spain will continue to be enforced.

The Ministry of Health announced on March 18 that all Singaporeans “are advised to defer all travel abroad with immediate effect.”

South Africa

On March 20, South African Airways announced that it’s suspending all international flights until May 31, 2020.

South Korea

Visitors who have been in China’s Hubei Province in the past 14 days, and passport holders from that region, are not permitted entry.

Korean visas issued by the Wuhan Consulate in the Hubei Province are invalidated, as are visas issued to nationals of Japan (at Korean Diplomatic Missions in Japan) before March 9, 2020. This does not apply to airline crew.

All visitors are to undergo a temperature check when entering the country. Those exhibiting symptoms will be required to take a diagnostic test and quarantine for 14 days.

South Korea says it will test every person entering the country from Europe for coronavirus, starting March 22, the country’s health ministry has announced.

Spain

A state of emergency has been declared in Spain and strict lockdown policies including restrictions on travel in and out of the country are in place.

Borders between Spain and Portugal are closed, leaving only nine active crossings open to allow for the transit of products and workers who are required to cross the border.

Singapore

All travellers entering Singapore with recent travel history to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, Japan, Switzerland or the United Kingdom within the last 14 days will be issued with a 14-day “Stay-Home Notice” and will have to provide proof of the place where they will stay.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has suspended all flights arriving into the country for two weeks, effective midnight on March 18.

Taiwan

Taiwan is banning entry to foreign nationals, except those with resident, diplomatic or business credentials or others with special permission, the island’s Epidemic Central Command Centre announced on March 18.

Travelers coming to the island will be subject to a mandatory 14-day home quarantine. The restrictions will go into effect on March 19.

Thailand

Thailand will require health certificates for all incoming travellers, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority announced on March 19.

Airlines will need to check if passengers have recent travel histories to certain high-risk areas, a health certificate issued within 72 hours stating that the passenger is not at risk of infection, and proof of medical insurance covering at least $100,000.

Thailand has suspended its visa exemption policies for travellers from Hong Kong, South Korea and Italy, while visa on arrival has been stopped for 18 countries: Bulgaria, Bhutan, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Malta, Mexico, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu and China.

Under the new measures, travellers must apply for visas in advance and present a medical certificate proving they are free of coronavirus. Travelers arriving from countries with ongoing local transmission must allow the government’s tracking app to be installed on their phones.

Turkey

Turkey has halted travel to and from nine European countries: Germany, Spain, France, Austria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands. Nationals of those countries are not allowed to enter the country.

Passengers who have transited through or been in Austria, Belgium, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, South Korea or Sweden in the past 14 days are not allowed to enter or transit through Turkey.

Turkish nationals and residents are exempt.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates has suspended issuing all tourist visas and most work permits, and entry is also denied to residency visa holders.

Earlier this week, the UAE also suspended issuing all tourist visas and most work permits.

UAE nationals in the country are temporarily banned from traveling abroad.

United Kingdom

On March 19, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Borish Johnson said there was “zero prospect” of any restrictions on travel in and out of London, and that there were “no plans” to shut down its transport network. However, the city’s transport authority had already closed parts of London’s Tube network, and the government did not rule out introducing further social distancing measures in the coming days.

Ukraine

Ukraine International Airlines has suspended all international scheduled flights starting March 17 through March 31, following the Ukraine’s government decision to temporarily ban entry to people who are not Ukraine citizens or residents.

Vietnam

Travelers who have been in the 26 European countries in the Schengen Area, plus the UK, within the past 14 days will not be permitted to enter or transit through Vietnam.

Visas upon arrival will also no longer be issued for all foreign nationals, according to a government statement issued Saturday.

Follow this space for more updates on the travel regulations.