The European Union took a step toward opening its borders to vaccinated tourists, a move that likely means Americans and other non-Europeans will be allowed to visit the continent this summer.
The decision, taken Wednesday by ambassadors from the 27 EU member countries, must still be formally approved by nations’ leaders, which could come as soon as tomorrow.
It isn’t yet clear exactly when tourists will be allowed to arrive, but it is expected to be very soon, an EU spokesman said.
The U.S. would need to be added to a list of countries from which nonessential travel to the EU is permitted. When that might happen is unclear, but the spokesman said the listed countries could be changed quickly if government leaders decide on it.
Individual EU countries will be able to set additional restrictions.
People who have been fully vaccinations with shots approved by the World Health Organization or the EU’s medicines regulator will be allowed in. That includes the three vaccines being used in the U.S.—
Pfizer Inc.,
Moderna Inc.
and
—as well as ones made by
PLC and Sinopharm, a Chinese state-owned company.
The EU curtailed nonessential travel in 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic and has yet to pullback on the restrictions.
Write to Eric Sylvers at [email protected]
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