Global travel advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be extended

The decision by the Government to extend the global travel advice has been taken on the basis of a variety of factors, including the global Covid-19 situation, new measures to counter the outbreak of new variants of the virus, the capacity of other countries’ health services and the travel restrictions that apply in other countries. The Ministry’s global travel advice against non-essential travel to all countries will be extended to apply until 15 April.

The global travel advice has been employed as a means of exercising infection control throughout the pandemic, alongside the stipulated quarantine requirements and restrictions on entry into Norway. The global Covid-19 situation has led many countries to implement strict entry restrictions as well as comprehensive infection control measures. A number of countries have also introduced increasingly more stringent measures as the infection situation has escalated. These measures have usually come into effect shortly after being announced. This, together with changes in the availability of flights, can create considerable difficulties for Norwegians travelling abroad. The ability of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide consular assistance in such cases will be extremely limited.

The health authorities will continue to review the infection situation in the Schengen area/EEA weekly, and the global travel advice will be updated on the basis of their findings. Currently, only Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, as well as some areas in Finland, are excepted from the travel advice. For an updated overview of the relevant countries and regions that are excepted from the travel advice, see the Institute of Public Health’s map showing the status for quarantine on entry to Norway and the Ministry’s travel information. 

The infection situation and local restrictions can both change very quickly. Anyone who is considering travelling abroad should think carefully about whether it is necessary for them to travel, and make sure that they know what the situation is in the country they are planning to visit.