EU lifts travel restrictions for US travelers

(CNN) – American travelers can visit Europe again this summer.

The European Union’s governing body has recommended lifting restrictions on non-essential travel from 14 countries, including the United States, to make it easier for visitors to these destinations to vacation in Europe.

In a statement announced on Friday, the European Council said member states should “gradually lift travel restrictions at external borders” for residents of the following countries: Albania, Australia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Rwanda, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand and the USA and China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity.

Great Britain in particular was absent from the list, which is revised every two weeks.

According to the European Council, the countries were selected on the basis of specifications related to “the epidemiological situation, the overall response to COVID-19, and the reliability of the available information and data sources”.

The Board also noted that reciprocity should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

While some countries, such as Greece and Spain, already allow fully vaccinated American travelers and/or those who provide a negative PCR test or meet other special entry requirements, this recommendation means Americans can enter the 27 member states of the European Union.

However, each Member State has the option to specify additional requirements, such as a mandatory quarantine period, negative PCR tests or proof of vaccination.

This news comes more than a year after the ban on non-essential travel from America to the European Union.

Currently, non-US citizens who have recently visited the European Union or the United Kingdom are denied entry to America.

US travelers made more than 36 million trips to Europe in 2019, but data from the European Travel Commission suggests the number has fallen to 6.6 million over the past year.

(Photo above: Passengers at Frankfurt Airport in Germany look at a destination board showing flights to America that were canceled on March 12, 2020. Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images.)