As the coronavirus started to spread, countries across the world quickly shut down in order to contain it. Attractions, restaurants, beaches, malls, and other places were closed as well. But a question that on every traveller’s mind remained, “When will travel restrictions be lifted?”.
Several countries have started to ease their lockdowns and are open for internal travel, while some are still absolutely shut. A few countries, however, have deemed it safe to travel right now, and have thus opened up international travel, even creating travel bubbles.
So, you can now go ahead and start planning your long-awaited vacation! While your dream destination may or may not be open yet, here is a list of countries open for travel now.
Note: Our list of countries open for travel now is based on each country’s government instructions, and may change. Ensure you check with your national authorities before travelling, and avoid travelling if any restrictions are in place.
Countries Open for Travel
You can find countries open for travel now, along with information on quarantine period, attractions open, number of COVID cases in the last week, along with other important information below. Use the dropdown on the right side to see countries with partial restrictions, no restrictions, or both.
World's Most Popular Attractions Open for Tourists Again
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The Rise Of Travel Bubbles - Future of Travel
With countries slowly recovering from the aftermath of COVID-19, the future of travel depends on a new phenomenon called a “travel bubble”. A feasible travel bubble involves connecting countries or states that have shown a great level of success in containing the novel coronavirus pandemic domestically. This bubble for countries/cities will allow members of the bubble to restart travel and tourism and trade ties with each other.
Reinvented by the Estonia-Latvia-Lithuania bubble, a travel bubble allows residents of the countries to travel freely by rail, air, and sea without (or with minimal) quarantine measures. While members of the bubble can travel immediately, new visitors joining the bubble will have to undergo a 14-day quarantine period before starting their voyage.
The rules and regulations are pretty straightforward; to freely travel in the bubble, a person should not have traveled outside the member countries in the past 14 days, should not be infected with coronavirus, and should not have come in contact with anyone who has been coronavirus infected. These conditions have to be met with relevant documents as well.
Top Emerging Travel Bubbles
Most EU member countries allow international visitors from other members. As the number of rising cases across Europe threaten this bubble, the EU will now adopt and implement common travel criteria across the region for clarity and safety. Passengers from certain countries like Australia and South Korea are allowed to enter the territory. Find the list of countries here.
The UK has no travel restrictions for those visiting from a number of countries including Australia, Cyprus, Dominica, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Seychelles, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Find the full list of countries in the UK travel corridor here.
The Australia-New Zealand travel bubble start mid-October. It is currently a one-way air corridor, with New Zealand yet to mention when Australian passengers can enter the country. New Zealanders will be able to visit the NSW and the Northern Territory of Australia quarantine-free if they meet certain criteria.
The China-Hong Kong travel bubble was the first of its kind in Asia. India has about 13 travel bubbles in place with countries such as the US, UK, and Canada. Currently, Singapore is in talks with Hong Kong and Indonesia to create a travel bubble. Japan has created a travel bubble with Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Taiwan, open to residents only.
Countries Open For Travel Now: FAQs
Currently, Bangladesh, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Oman, Pakistan, Japan, and Russia have partial restriction for travel in Asia.
Afghanistan, Cambodia, Jordan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Lebanon are some Asian countries open for tourism with no restrictions.
Austria, Andorra, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, France, Italy, Kosovo, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, Georgia, and Turkey are partially open for travel in Europe.
Albania, Belarus, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom are currently open for travel with no restrictions.
Tunisia, Senegal, Mali, and Zambia are open with partial restrictions. Benin, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Togo are open for travel with no restrictions.
Brazil and Ecuador are open to visitors with no restrictions, while Bolivia is open with partial restrictions in place.
Countries open for travel in North America are as follows:
- Partial restrictions: Costa Rica, Greenland, Mexico, and United States of America.
- No restrictions: Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Cuba.
This depends on the country you are travelling from and to. Ensure you check whether or not their borders are open, quarantine status, and the number of current cases before you travel.
This depends on where you are located and if there are any travel bubbles your country has in place. Please check the table above to see which countries are open for travel.
As countries are starting to open up their borders, international tourism is also beginning slowly.
While some countries are open for travel right now with partial or no restrictions, others are planning to open up in 2021. For example, Saudi Arabia plans to open its international borders early next year, and Japan estimates that it will be open for international travel by April 2021.
