Amsterdam tourists surprised by Covid access pass requirements

The coronavirus access pass required in the catering, entertainment and cultural sectors in the Netherlands since Saturday caught a number of tourists in Amsterdam off guard. They were unaware they needed an access pass and ended up stuck outside, AT5 reports.

"Now they say that you need a QR code. We thought, what?" a foreign couple said to the Amsterdam broadcaster. "They should have made it clearer. We'll have to stay outside. We're stuck outside."

If you are unvaccinated or cannot show that you were vaccinated against Covid-19 or recently recovered from the disease, you need to test negative before being able to enter a restaurant, museum, or event, for example. Tests are free of charge, but only valid for 24 hours. The requirement does not apply to those who remain on cafe terraces.

"My 24 hours just ended half an hour ago. So I have to get tested again," a tourist in the Amsterdam city center said to the local broadcaster from a terrace. "That's why we're staying here as long as we can."

Sitting outside on the terrace was not so bad, with a weekend of pleasant, dry weather, but the rules made it impossible for anyone without a valid pass access to access the interior of any restaurants. "Someone told me that I can't go to the toilet if I can't show a coronavirus pass. I didn't have one with me, but I was vaccinated twice," another tourist said to AT5. "So I was surprised that I couldn't use the toilet."

Pim Evers of the Amsterdam department of hospitality association KHN told AT5 that a number of foreign QR codes for access passes did not work this weekend. Not being able to let people inside to go to the toilet led to discussions and went "against all hospitality", he said. "That has to change."