The COVID-19 outbreak poses a serious public health threat. Locks and other agreed restrictive measures are necessary to save lives. However, these measures can also seriously slow down our economy and may delay the supply of critical goods and services. The European Commission has taken measures to ensure the continuous and uninterrupted service of ground, water, and air cargo. These services are critical to the functioning of the EU internal market and its effective response to the current public health crisis

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Temporary non-essential travel restrictions

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To contain the spreading of the virus, on 16 March, the European Commission recommended to the Member States to apply a temporary 30 days coordinated restriction of non-essential travel from third countries into the EU. Following the endorsement by EU leaders, all EU Member States (except Ireland) and all Schengen Associated Countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland) are now applying this travel restriction. On 8 April, the Commission invited the Member States and non-EU Schengen countries to extend the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel to the EU until 15 May.

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On 30 March, the Commission provided guidance on how to implement the temporary travel restrictions, the facilitation of repatriations from across the world, and dealing with overstays caused by travel restrictions. The travel restriction does not apply to EU citizens, citizens of non-EU Schengen countries and their family members, and long-term non-EU national residents for the purpose of returning home. To limit the minimum impact on the general functioning of our societies, Member States should not apply the restrictions on essential staff (medical practitioners and health workers, researchers, frontier workers, seasonal agricultural workers, etc.).

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EU Member States and Schengen Associated Countries are allowed to refuse entry at the external borders to ‘non-resident third-country nationals where they present relevant symptoms or have been particularly exposed to the risk of infection and are considered to be a threat to public health. Member States must allow their own citizens and EU citizens or third-country nationals legally residing on their territory to enter.​

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Source: European Commission