Global travel advice rescinded for the Schengen area/EEA and certain countries outside the EU from 5 July

Everyone arriving in Norway from a country with a high level of infection will still be required to go into quarantine. While the advice against non-essential travel to the Schengen area/EEA, the UK and certain countries on the EU’s list of safe third countries is being withdrawn from 5 July, the situation remains unpredictable. New travel advice may be issued at short notice if infection rates in these areas rise. This can pose difficulties for Norwegians who are travelling abroad.

The EU’s list of safe third countries  

The Government has decided to rescind the advice against non-essential travel to those countries and regions on the EU’s list of safe third countries that the Norwegian Institute of Public Health has assessed and determined meet the criteria for somewhat less stringent entry restrictions. The EU’s list of safe third countries list is a list of non-EU/EEA countries and regions and is reviewed and updated every two weeks.

Starting on Monday 5 July, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ advice against non-essential travel no longer applies to the following countries and regions: Australia, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the US. 

Although the advice against non-essential travel has been withdrawn, the rules and requirements relating to quarantine remain in place.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has now carried out its first assessment to determine which countries on the EU’s list of safe third countries are eligible for less stringent entry restrictions. For more information about third countries, see here (Norwegian only).

For information about infection levels in the relevant countries and the rules and requirements relating to quarantine on arrival in Norway, see here.   

Please note that the level of infection in the country you plan to visit can change very quickly. New requirements relating to quarantine on entry into Norway may be introduced at short notice.

Regions in Europe   

As of 5 July, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health will also assess the infection levels in a number of specific regions. In practice, this refers to certain islands and archipelagos in Europe. As the advice against non-essential travel has been withdrawn for the entire Schengen area/EEA and UK from 5 July, no travel advice applies to these regions. If the level of infection satisfies the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s criteria, it will be possible to visit these regions without having to go into quarantine on return to Norway. For more information about the islands/archipelagos that are exempt from entry quarantine here.

Quarantine upon entry into Norway

Although the advice against non-essential travel to the Schengen area/EEA, UK and certain countries and regions on the EU’s list of safe third countries has been withdrawn, individuals will in many cases still be required to go into quarantine upon their return to Norway. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health will assess the relevant countries and regions on a weekly basis. In even-numbered weeks, all countries and regions will be assessed to assign the colour codes. In odd-numbered weeks, the Institute will only assess whether the status of any countries should be changed from green to red based on the level of infection.

Updates of the country assessments will be published on regjeringen.no every Friday at 12 noon, and the changes will apply from 00:00 am on the following Monday. Once the changes have come into effect, the map showing the status for quarantine on entry to Norway on the Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s website will be updated.