Austria scraps mandatory quarantine for travelers from NL

From Monday, Austria will scrap the mandatory quarantine for people from the Netherlands who have not had a booster shot against the coronavirus. The Austrian Tourist Office reported this based on information from the government. Currently, anyone who hasn't had a third Covid-19 vaccine now has to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival.

The relaxations apply to the Netherlands and 13 other countries that were on a high-risk list due to many coronavirus infections with the Omicron variant. Now that the virus variant is also dominant in Austria, the government decided to reverse the restriction, media in the Alpine country reported.

The change to the quarantine rules could be good news for winter sports enthusiasts and travel companies alike. The next school holiday period in the Netherlands is Voorjaarsvakantie, which starts on February 19 in the north of the country and February 26 in the central and southern regions.

In principle, Austria still only allows travelers who have been fully vaccinated or who recently recovered from a coronavirus infection. A negative test result also remains mandatory unless the person has had their booster shot. Proof of vaccination or recent recovery is also required to enter hotels and restaurants, for example. The country works on the 2G coronavirus access policy.

Austria implemented the current entry restrictions at the end of December. Many Netherlands residents arrived in Austria a few days before the rules took effect and enjoyed winter sports without quarantine obligation. The Alpine country is the most popular winter sports destination among Netherlands residents.