Good news has arrived for Americans wishing to head to the Netherlands this summer, as all travel restrictions have been dropped for visitors from the US. The US is among several countries considered by the Netherlands to be “safe,” with a low risk of contracting COVID-19. Because of this American travelers can head to the Netherlands without any restrictions – no quarantine is required on arrival and they don’t need to provide a negative test result or proof of full vaccination. It’s almost like the good old days!
Safe countries according to the Netherlands
The US is only one of the countries considered by the Netherlands to have a low risk of contracting COVID-19 and considered “safe.” Travelers from Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia and Taiwan are also considered safe locations, along with most European countries.
This means that visitors from these particular countries do not need to quarantine on arrival in the Netherlands, nor have proof of vaccination or a negative test result.
Visitors from high-risk countries
As the Netherlands reopens its borders to tourism, those visitors from high-risk countries will still face restrictions. They will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result on arrival and to quarantine for 10 days, even if they have received their full vaccination. Due to the Delta variant doing the rounds, the UK is particularly considered to be a high-risk country.
Those traveling from other countries should always check the latest status in the Netherlands before planning a trip to avoid disappointment.
What can the Netherlands offer?
Anyone who does visit the Netherlands this year will be able to visit most of its best attractions. This is due to the fact that museums, like the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank House have reopened to visitors. Also, cinemas, concert halls and sporting venues reopened this week.
Visitors can head to cafés, restaurants and bars, while still following social distancing rules. The country used to impose curfews on alcohol purchases, but these have now also been dropped. While face masks are still required on public transport and in airports, visitors no longer need to wear them in shops and other public spaces.
Changes in Amsterdam
However, travelers heading to Amsterdam can expect some changes. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city was struggling with over-tourism. While the city has a population of around 820,000, Amsterdam saw a record 20 million international tourists in 2019. This was causing major problems in the popular city.
Local residents started complaining about the crowds of visitors, the tourist-centric shops and garbage-strewn streets. There was also an increase in the number of short-term vacation rentals in Amsterdam, which residents believe led to rising house and rental prices.
The one good thing that has come out of the pandemic for Amsterdam is that the city has been able to have a reset. Officials have placed new restrictions on short-term vacation rentals in the city center. On top of this, tours of the popular Red Light District have been banned. On top of this, from 2022, non-residents will be banned from buying cannabis from the city’s equally popular coffee shops. Tens of thousands of visitors headed to Amsterdam for those two attractions alone.
However, that isn’t all, as this month Amsterdam’s city council has launched a new online campaign. They want to encourage visitors to embrace the city’s cultural heritage, but also want to warn those who disrespect Amsterdam to stay away.
The city council posted a statement online addressed to “nuisance visitors,” writing, “We do not want to go back to what we saw before the pandemic, where massive crowds in the Red Light District and the city’s entertainment areas caused a nuisance to residents.”
“Visitors who respect Amsterdam and the people of Amsterdam have always been welcome and will, of course, remain so. Visitors who treat our residents and heritage with disrespect are not welcome. The message we have for them is: ‘don’t come to Amsterdam’.”
So there you have it, if you respect Amsterdam’s beauty and heritage, you are now welcome to visit again, to enjoy everything the city has to offer.
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Photo credit: Deposit photos
