The EU Wants To End Restrictions For Some Travellers & Here's What It Means For Canadians​

Travelling to Europe from Canada could get easier, thanks to a series of recommended changes to the European Union's travel rules.

On Tuesday, February 22, the European Council recommended that EU nations lift all testing and quarantine requirements for eligible fully vaccinated travellers from other countries starting as early as next month.

Per the recommendation, individuals who've received the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine (which has been authorized in the EU or approved by the World Health Organization) would be eligible, provided their most recent vaccination was no more than 270 days and at least 14 days before their arrival.

Additionally, those who've received a booster dose and those who've recently recovered from COVID-19 (within 180 days of travel) would be eligible to avoid restrictions.

The recommendation also says that children under the age of 6 should not face COVID-19 testing or other requirements to travel.

The change would mean that eligible fully vaccinated travellers from Canada will be able to visit countries inside the 27-nation bloc without taking multiple COVID-19 tests and facing strict measures like quarantine.

With Canada's own travel measures also easing for fully vaccinated travellers, it means taking trips to places like Spain, Italy, Germany, France and so many more could become much simpler (and cheaper!).

"The updates will further facilitate travel from outside the EU into the EU, and take into account the evolution of the pandemic, the increasing vaccination uptake worldwide and the administration of booster doses," the European Commission said, per CTV News.

The start date for the new guidance is March 1, according to USA Today.

It's also worth remembering that EU recommendations are non-binding, which means each member state is able to decide their own rules and choose their own travel measures. That said, when the council made similar recommendations last year, many countries followed the guidance.