Europe will be open for vaccinated tourists this summer, possibly as soon as next week

• The EU has agreed to a plan to reopen to vaccinated tourists as early as next week.
• Visitors who have received approved shots or are from countries deemed “safe” would be allowed in.
• Under current rules, only visitors from seven countries may freely travel to the EU.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

The European Union will reopen to vaccinated tourists as early as next week, ahead of the busy summer travel season.

Ambassadors from the 27 member nations agreed to a proposal that would loosen the year-long restrictions on nonessential travel, permitting visitors who have received approved shots or arrive from countries the council deems “safe.”

The decision would open the continent’s doors to all travelers from Great Britain, but only those from the US who could show proof of vaccination, Reuters reported.

Video: European Union agrees to ease Covid travel restrictions for fully vaccinated tourists (MSNBC)

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Only seven countries, including Australia, Israel and Singapore, are on the list of places from which visitors can currently visit the EU regardless of vaccination status.

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EU nations like Greece and Spain, which are heavily dependent on tourism spending, have been pushing for the changes for months, and The New York Times reports that the plan will allow individual nations to set their own parameters to allow entry.

Americans who have received shots from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer would be eligible under the plan, while visitors who have received World Health Organization-approved shots from AstraZeneca and Sinopharm would be permitted as well.

The list of “safe” countries that wouldn’t require proof of vaccination is expected to be finalized on Friday. A draft of the criteria seen by The Times said a visitor’s home country would need a 14-day average Covid infection rate of less than 75 per 100,000 people, and that the visitor would have to show a negative test less than 72 hours before arrival.

The Times notes that infection rate is lower than most EU countries, with just three – Finland, Malta and Portugal – making the cut. Greece and Italy meanwhile have Covid rates of 269 and 249, respectively.

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