Netherlands could require travelers to show coronavirus test results at border

Minister Hugo de Jonge of Public Health wants to oblige travelers arriving in the Netherlands to prove that they tested negative for the coronavirus no more than 48 hours prior to arrival, he said in a letter to parliament.

Due to the rules around free travel in the European Union and Schengen area, a legislative amendment is needed to require that travelers from these areas show their test results at the Dutch border. De Jonge expects that this requirement will therefore only be implemented for them in the spring at the earliest. For non-European travelers exempted from the entry EU ban, a test statement can be requested from mid-December, he said.

The Minister also wants to test travelers five days after their arrival in the Netherlands, likely regardless of whether they have symptoms that could indicate a Covid-19 infection. Currently, people arriving from coronavirus hot spots have to quarantine for 10 days. By testing them after five, they could leave quarantine earlier if they test negative.

De Jonge thinks that these measures will make it easier for people from coronavirus hot spots to make necessary trips to the Netherlands, while also making it easier for the Netherlands to make sure they don't bring the virus with them.