EU adds Ukraine to safe travel list, removes Thailand, Rwanda

The European Union added Ukraine on Thursday to a list of countries for which it recommends that COVID-related travel restrictions be lifted. The Chinese administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau are also on the safe list. It is still for individual EU countries to decide whether to lift the travel restrictions.

The European Union added Ukraine on Thursday to a list of countries for which it recommends that COVID-related travel restrictions be lifted. Rwanda and Thailand, meanwhile, were removed from the safe list, the European Council, which represents the 27 EU member states, said in a statement.

Ukraine joins a list that now includes 23 other countries - Albania, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Brunei, Canada, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, New Zealand, Qatar, Moldova, North Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine and the United States. The Chinese administrative regions Hong Kong and Macau are also on the safe list.

It is still for individual EU countries to decide whether to lift the travel restrictions. They can still demand, if they wish, a negative COVID-19 test or a period of quarantine for people arriving from countries on the safe list. The EU regularly updates the list, adjusting it to the COVID-19 situation around the world.