New rules regarding travel were defined on Wednesday, June 3. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte spoke at a press conference on Wednesday evening, following the government meeting, detailing which countries are accessible by tourists from the Netherlands and which countries have access to the Netherlands as a travel destination.

Summer travel options

Travel outside the EU and other Schengen areas will not be allowed, unless those travelling there are actual residents of the destination country, on the basis of essential travel. Anyone who travels to these areas will need to go into a 14-day quarantine upon their return.

People can travel to a few European countries that have a similar health risk to the Netherlands. Countries to which travel is possible include Germany, Belgium, Italy, Croatia, and the Dutch Caribbean islands. “The health risks have to be the same as they are here,” Rutte said. Countries like France and Spain will be viable travel options soon.

The Prime Minister expressed his confidence in the people of the Netherlands to continue following the new rules as the restrictions are gradually eased. “The Netherlands has chosen to give a lot of responsibility to people themselves,” Rutte said. “We have not had the police knocking on the door and we have handed out far fewer fines for breaking the 1,5-metre rule than other countries. So I really have confidence that they will continue to do this.”

Rutte calls on holidaymakers to be responsible and alert and to follow the rules of the particular country they visit, whilst simultaneously following the rules they would follow back home in the Netherlands.

He also urged people to avoid the high season as much as possible, but he said that ultimately it is up to individuals whether or not to take the risk. Any holidaymaker who gets stranded abroad due to the rapidly-changing coronavirus travel measures will not be repatriated. 

Dutch borders open to certain countries, but not Sweden or the UK

“The most important thing is whether the health risks are comparable, and this will be the case across Europe, except in the United Kingdom and Sweden.” Tourists from Britain and Sweden are not allowed to enter the Netherlands because of the risk of spreading the virus. “The message is, we do not want British people and Swedes here at the moment. If they do come, they will have to go into quarantine for two weeks.”

Holidaymakers from certain countries are allowed to travel into the Netherlands from June 15. Those countries are: Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia, Czechia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia and the Baltic states. Vacationers from a number of other countries will be allowed to travel into the Netherlands between June 15 and July 15, with the gradual easing of restrictions also depending on the measures in other countries.