Countries that may require a mandatory COVID booster to visit - International Travel

Jan 27, 2022

Several popular holiday destinations have already announced two jabs might not be enough to enter.

Vaccinated travellers with plans to head abroad in the coming months might get caught short if they haven’t had their booster as nations increasingly embrace boosters.

Several popular holiday destinations in Europe have already announced two jabs might not be enough to enter, according to reports from The Sun.

Some countries have already confirmed travellers cannot get in unless they have had a booster jab, while others have set an expiration date on current vaccine passports – so travellers who were vaccinated ‘too long ago’ will need a booster to enter.

Here are some of the countries looking at enforcing Covid boosters for international arrivals. The list is only likely to increase, with several other countries already weighing booster requirements and the possibility of maximum vaccine validity periods.

Spain

Currently, vaccinated travellers can enter Spain regardless of when they got their second dose.

However, from February 1, Spain will only permit travellers who can prove they were fully vaccinated against Covid within the last 270 days, or nine months, to enter.

Anyone who received their second dose more than nine months ago must have had a booster jab to be allowed in.

The booster must have been given more than 14 days before travelling.

France

While vaccinated travellers are able to enter France, those who had their booster jab more than seven months ago won’t be able to get in.

Since January 15, all travellers who have been fully vaccinated for more than seven months will now need to show proof of their booster vaccine to enter.

Greece

On January 5, Greek health minister Thanos Plevirs announced that vaccine certificates would only remain valid for seven months after the last dose of the vaccine.

All those who don’t receive a booster shot within the seven-month time frame are considered unvaccinated.

Currently, that rule doesn’t impact Aussies much as there are no requirements to be vaccinated to enter Greece – they just need to show proof of a negative Covid test.

But that rule might change in the coming months, so travellers with holiday plans to go to Greece should keep checking for updates.

Switzerland

Similarly, travellers hoping to enter Switzerland will need to get their booster jab within 270 days of receiving their second dose.

As in the Netherlands, vaccine passports with two jabs are only valid for nine months.

Netherlands

From February 1, the Netherlands will only accept vaccine certificates that show the last dose was given within the last nine months.

So travellers hoping to visit will need to have received their booster within 270 days for their pass to be considered valid.

Austria

The double dose rule also applies in Austria, which currently means its vaccine passports will be valid for 270 days after the second dose is received.

However, from February 1 that is being shortened to 180 days – just six months – after which a booster jab is required.

Belgium

Belgium has given an even shorter time frame for double vaxxed people to get their booster.

From March 1, vaccine certificates will only be valid for 150 days after a second dose, giving people just five months to get their booster.

“This means that anyone who was vaccinated with one dose (only Janssen) or two doses (Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Oxford) before October 1 must have had a booster shot before March 1,” the Belgian Consultation Committee said.

“Otherwise, the validity of the vaccination certificate will expire.”

United Arab Emirates

The UAE is the first country to have already banned visitors from entering if they don’t have three Covid jabs.

As of January 10, all travellers entering Dubai have not been deemed fully vaccinated unless they’ve had a booster.

Hawaii

Currently, vaccinated travellers who wish to enter Hawaii without quarantining must show proof of double vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test taken within three days of arrival.

However, the island state of Hawaii may soon require incoming arrivals to have had a booster vaccination. The island of Maui has already implemented new rules which state that in order to be considered ‘fully vaccinated’ a booster is required.

Although the exact timetable for this change is yet to be confirmed, Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi told Hawaii’s KHON that February 18 is being evaluated as a potential target date.

A version of this article originally appeared on The Sun. It has been reproduced with permission.