Lithuania no Longer Requires Negative COVID-19 Tests for Arrivals, Eliminates Quarantine for Certain Categories of Travelers

According to an announcement published by the Lithuanian Ministry of Health, third country nationals arriving to Lithuania will no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival in the country.

The change will have been effective from 2 October 2020 onwards.

Although new arrivals will no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 test that is no older than 72 hours before departure, there is still a mandatory 14-day quarantine that all travelers from “affected countries” will still need to undergo before they can move around freely inside of Lithuania.

“Another change that has come into effect as of 2 October is that it is no longer required for foreigners coming from the affected countries to have taken a test for COVID-19 (coronavirus infection) at maximum 72 hours before the entry to Lithuania with a negative result thereof. 14 days’ self-isolation however remains mandatory,” the announcement reads.

Quarantine requirements have been removed for some types of travelers, however. People coming from abroad that will not be required to self-isolate include:

  • Teachers of the Lithuanian language returning from Belarus.
  • Clergy performing pastoral work in Belarus.
  • Law enforcement officers involved in FRONTEX-coordinated operations abroad in EU Member States and third countries.
  • Those who travel through an “affected country” by air that did not leave the airport.
  • Those who are from a “country unaffected” by COVID-19 passing through Poland or Estonia with essential stops only, such as hygiene, refueling, etc.
  • People traveling from Poland or Estonia for work, studies, agricultural activities, or health care activities.

There are new rules in place as well to accompany the country leaving behind the regulations regarding negative tests and quarantine for many individuals. Anyone arriving in Lithuania will need to register with the National Public Health Centre (NPHC) electronically by completing a questionnaire. There will be a confirmation received by the traveler called a QR code that will need to be presented before boarding a plane, bus, ferry, or train to Lithuania. For arrivals by land, it is required that travelers register within 12 hours of arrival in Lithuania.

“Every traveller returning to or arriving in Lithuania by air, sea or land using regular, special and charter services will have to register electronically with the National Public Health Centre (NPHC) by completing a questionnaire. The confirmation received – the so-called QR code – will have to be shown before boarding a plane, ferry, bus or train. In the case of individual travelling by land, it is obligatory to register electronically with the NPHC within 12 hours from the moment of arrival in the Republic of Lithuania,” the announcement reads.

Lithuania, at the time of writing this article, is currently experiencing a drop in the number of cases since the country hit the peak of their second wave; amid growing pressure to open the country back up entirely and an obligation to their neighbor, Belarus, authorities have relaxed some rules to begin the process of recovery while still maintaining their humanitarian obligations. It is still unknown when Lithuania will be open and functioning as normal.

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