Germany has extended its UK travel ban - full list of EU countries doing the same

Germany has extended its ban on visitors entering the country from the UK to 6 January 2021. The decision comes despite the EU advising countries to lift restrictions in order to allow EU and UK citizens to return home in the run up for Christmas.

The Foreign Office travel advice for the country states, “The German government has extended its ban on air passenger flights arriving from the UK to Germany to a ban on all forms of transport until Wednesday 6 January 2021.

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“During this period, transport operators are banned from offering plane, bus, ferry and train journeys from the UK to Germany.”

Dozens of countries blocking travel from UK

Germany is the latest addition to the list of countries that have blocked people arriving from the UK.

Countries around the world are shutting their borders due to fear over the new coronavirus variant, said to be much more transmittable.

The new variation is known as VUI0202012/01, and has been predominantly found in London and southeast England. It has also been found in smaller numbers in Wales, Scotland and every region of England.

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Ireland’s ban on travel to and from the UK has also been extended to 31 December.

France halted lorry drivers in the UK from taking their freight across the Channel, which led to huge delays in Dover. This travel ban has now been eased, though drivers require a negative Covid test result to travel from Kent to France.

Italy has grounded all flights to and from the UK until 6 January, while banning entry for anyone who has been in the UK in the last fortnight.

Spain has suspended flights from the UK, tightening border controls with Gibraltar.

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The Netherlands has currently banned flights from the UK until the new year, and Switzerland has stopped foreign nationals arriving from the UK and South Africa.

From Monday 28 December, Norway will halt incoming flights from the UK, and Sweden has suspended all incoming travel from the UK until further notice.

Germany has extended a ban on air passenger flights to a ban on all forms of transport until 6 January.

Austria, Bulgaria, and Malta have all banned passenger flights from the UK.

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Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, North Macedonia: stopping flights from Britain indefinitely.

‘Flight and train bans should be discontinued’

The travel bans defy a plea from the EU Commission which, following talks on Tuesday 22 December, said it was important for countries to “take swift temporary precautionary action” to help limit the spread of Covid-19.

However, the advice added, "Flight and train bans should be discontinued given the need to ensure essential travel and avoid supply chain disruptions."

Didier Reynders, the EU commissioner for justice, also noted that the blanket travel bans “should not prevent thousands of EU and UK citizens from returning to their homes” in the run up to Christmas.

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