Unvaccinated U.S. Travelers in Europe May Face New Restrictions

The European Union Monday recommended that its members reintroduce travel restrictions for unvaccinated American visitors.

The European Council, which contains the leaders of 27 countries, removed the United States from a “safe list” of countries whose citizens can travel without quarantine and testing requirements, as reported by the New York Times.

While it is recommended, the change is not mandatory, as each member country imposes its own travel restrictions.

If enforced, the new restrictions would only apply to unvaccinated travelers. Most countries do not require Americans to quarantine upon arrival, but a few have kept requirements in place as the Delta variant continues to spread.

A European official with knowledge around the announcement said the update was made based on the latest scientific data available. Other countries removed from the “safe list” along with America include Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro and North Macedonia.