British citizens will be allowed to visit Cyprus from May 2021, according to a statement made by the island’s Deputy Tourism Minister, Savvas Perdios, to the Cyprus News Agency.
British nationals wishing to visit Cyprus this summer will not have to undergo quarantine or take a COVID-19 test.
They will, however, need to be vaccinated, according to Perdios.
The vaccines given to the UK nationals will need to have been of a kind that is approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). So far, the vaccines that have been approved by the EMA are the ones that have been produced produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Moderna.
In addition, travelers will need to have had their second dose of the vaccine at least 7 days before traveling.
It is still unclear exactly how travelers will be required to prove their vaccination status.
Portugal is another Member State that is looking to welcome back the recently separated British nationals for holidays abroad.
According to Rita Marques, Portugal’s Secretary of State for Tourism, tourist travel could be restored for Brits from 17 May 2021.
In addition, travel could include not only vaccinated individuals, but people who are either immune to COVID-19 or test negative for it.
“I do believe that Portugal will soon allow restriction-free travel, not only for vaccinated people, but those who are immune or who test negative. We hope to welcome British tourists from 17 May,” Marquez told the BBC.
Marques also added that Portugal’s situation is “stable” and that “everything will be ready mid-May.”
Of course, neither Cyprus or Portugal’s welcoming back of UK nationals will not matter if they cannot travel anywhere outside of the UK.
International travel from the England will not start again until 17 May 2021 at the earliest, however.
Under the country’s COVID-19 measures, citizens are not even allowed to leave unless the state deems their purpose to be “essential.”
Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have not yet set or announced dates for international travel to begin again.
If international travel is allowed for Summer 2021 from the UK, there are other countries that will gladly welcome back UK nationals as well.
Among these countries that have not officially announced anything yet but have flirted with opening back up to Brits is Spain.
“We believe that summer has to be the beginning of the end of this bad experience,” said Spain’s Secretary of State for Tourism Fernando Valdes. He continued, “I can’t give a specific date, that will depend on how the pandemic evolves.”
Another Member State looking to welcome back travelers from the UK is Greece, whose government is allegedly taking all necessary actions for this to happen.
Other Member States will likely jump on board as the busy tourism season of summer approaches.
