Here is the latest on Dutch diplomatic posts, the Dutch policy on self quarantine and the list of safe countries for non-essential travel.
Reopening of Dutch Diplomatic posts
Following an announcement of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dutch Representative offices abroad have begun to -partially- resume their services and are able to issue MVV entry visas again, which allows them to travel to The Netherlands.
Please be mindful that normal supply and demand rules also apply to the world of visas and diplomatic services so that during the start-up phase the availability of appointments is limited and waiting times might apply.
The most up to date information and availability of MVV appointments in a specific country can be found on the web page of the embassy or consulate general.
Self-quarantine on arrival in the Netherlands
Individuals arriving in the Netherlands from the below-listed countries or regions are strongly advised to self-quarantine for 14 days after arrival, even if they do not have any symptoms or if they have tested negative for COVID-19 upon departure.
List of countries (reviewed on regular basis)
- Aruba,
- 1 area in Belgium (Antwerp)
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Malta
- Morocco
- 1 area in Portugal (Vale do Tejo, this includes Lisbon)
- Romania
- Sint Maarten
- 6 provinces in Spain: Barcelona and Lerida (in the autonomous region Catalonia), de provinces Huesca, Zaragoza en Teruel (in the autonomous region Aragón) and the province Soria (in the region Castile and León)
- 1 area in the United Kingdom (Leicester)
- all countries outside the EU (including UK) and the Schengen area
Although self-quarantine remains optional for now, the Government is looking into new measures in order to make self-quarantine compulsory. When or how this is going to be implemented is however still unknown.
IN Amsterdam
IN Amsterdam has communicated that clients arriving from one of the above countries can only book an appointment after quarantining for two weeks, in accordance with the government’s guidelines. Please note that this can cause some practical difficulties upon arrival.
Test location Schiphol
A COVID-19 testing location has been opened up for individuals departing from and arriving at Schiphol Airport as of the 14th of August 2020. Testing is not (yet) compulsory, but travellers who are arriving are strongly advised to get themselves tested on the spot. They will have the result within 24-32 hours.
“Safe” countries for non-essential travel into NL
On August 7th the EU updated the list of “safe” countries whose residents will be permitted entry into the EU for non-essential travel. Morocco has been removed from the list. On July 16th, Montenegro and Serbia were removed and on July 31st Algeria was removed as well. We note that no new countries were added. The following 11 countries are now considered safe countries of departure for the purpose of non-essential travel:
- Australia
- Canada
- China*
- Georgia
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Rwanda
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- Uruguay
*China is subject to the confirmation of reciprocity.
Important to note is that the residence in a third country is the determining factor whether the temporary restriction on non-essential travel applies to a third-country national, not the nationality. Furthermore even though (business) travelers from these countries are permitted to visit the EU, the policy is not legally binding within the EU. Policies may differ between countries hence we would recommend that non-essential (business) travelers first check with the country they would like to visit/transit to ensure that they will be allowed entry.
The list will be reviewed every 2 weeks on the basis of the local epidemiological situation and will be adjusted accordingly.
We hope this information has been of help. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions regarding the relocation or soft-landing of your international talent. We’re happy to answer your questions.
This article was co-written with the team at Hillbrook Expatriate Tax Solutions.
