These 5 Countries are the Latest to Ease Entry Requirements for Travelers

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Last Updated 2 years ago

Covid hasn’t gone away, yet many countries across the globe have adopted policies that are aimed at making living with Covid a real possibility. Countries are realizing that the only way to combat Covid is to learn to live with it – and that means open borders.

For 2 years now, much of the world has been locked down, something that is finally coming to an end with more and more countries opening again for tourism.

International travel restrictions of countries are being loosened by the week. Just this week the European Union announced that it is dropping its mask mandate for air travelers starting next week.

Covid travel warnings are being dropped, too. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month removed all the remaining countries on its “Do Not Travel” list.

It is clear that countries are ready for a post-covid era. Here are 5 countries that are the latest to ease entry requirements for travelers.

Israel to drop arrival testing requirement for US visitors

Israel will end mandatory COVID-19 testing for arrivals at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport, but foreigners would still have to test negative overseas before boarding a flight to the country. This new change will go into effect on May 20, 2022.

However, travelers will already now have the option to take a rapid antigen test within 24 hours of departure for Israel, rather than a PCR test, taken within 72 hours of travel. This will make traveling to Israel a step easier and more cost-effective.

New Zealand will open up to all tourists by July

New Zealand will fully reopen its borders at the end of July, according to a government announcement on Wednesday that noted the move comes two months ahead of schedule in an attempt to ramp up the nation’s economic recovery from the pandemic.

New Zealand has been slowly reopening, first to Australians last month and then to tourists from the U.S., Britain, and more than 50 other countries earlier this month. Wednesday's announcement will allow tourists from China, India, and other countries to come starting July 31.

The government said it also planned to end the need for people to get pre-departure COVID-19 tests by the end of July.

Currently, most travelers including U.S. travelers entering New Zealand must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 result. Either a rapid antigen test administered no more than 24 hours before the scheduled departure of your first international flight to New Zealand, or a PCR test administered no more than 48 hours before the scheduled departure of your first international flight to New Zealand.

U.S. travelers will need to be fully vaccinated in order to enter New Zealand.

Laos reopens to international visitors after more than 2 years

The landlocked Southeast Asian nation of  Laos reopened to tourists and other visitors on Monday, more than two years after it imposed tight restrictions to fight the coronavirus.

Vaccination certificates or virus tests will still be required for foreigners entering the country. Travelers 12 years of age or older without vaccination certificates must be able to show negative Covid tests taken within 48 hours of departure for Laos.

Myanmar issuing tourist visas

Myanmar announced it would resume issuing visas to international travelers as part of an effort to assist its tourism industry, which has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Myanmar’s borders have been closed to tourists since March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. From May 15, 2022, Myanmar will begin accepting e-Visa tourist applications.

Visitors need a certificate of vaccination, negative results from a COVID-19 RT-PCR test taken shortly before their flight, and a travel insurance policy. They must also take an ATK rapid test after arrival.

The Czech Republic eases all travel restrictions

Last month, the Czech Republic's Ministry of Health eased travel protocols for international visitors.

“There are no longer any coronavirus restrictions for entry into the Czech Republic,” CzechTourism said on its website on April 14.

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