Travel to Europe paused for tourists from the US, Lebanon, Israel and more

A ban on non-essential travel to the EU from six countries was released on Monday

Non-essential travel to Europe is set to be paused for tourists from the US, Lebanon, Israel and more. Reuters

Flying to Europe for a holiday has been paused for travellers coming from the United States and five other destinations.

The European Union announced recommendations to halt non-essential travel for people coming from destinations where coronavirus case numbers are rising.

The European Council, which represents the bloc's 27 governments, said it was taking six territories off its list of locations exempted from restrictions on non-essential travel.

"Israel, Kosovo, Lebanon, Montenegro, the Republic of North Macedonia and the United States of America were removed from the list," a statement said.

Which countries are set to be removed from the EU Travel list?

• Israel
• Kosovo
• Lebanon
• Montenegro
• North Macedonia
• United States

Travel restrictions such as quarantine and testing requirements for unvaccinated travellers from each of these destinations are set to be reimposed, reported Reuters on Friday.

The EU safe travel list, or white list, details the destinations from where travel for non-essential purposes such as tourism and business is allowed. It is updated regularly, with Ukraine the latest country to be added in the last update on July 15.

Member states in the EU do not need to abide by the rules set out by the EU authorities and can make their own decision on whether or not to adhere to the list. However, it generally has set the agenda for who can visit the region during the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, some EU countries may decide to continue to allow US tourists or travellers from other destinations, especially if they can prove they have been fully vaccinated.

The non-binding list now has 28 destinations on it, including Japan, Jordan and Canada.

The action comes as the US grapples with rising Covid-19 case numbers. On Friday, a record high of 322,934 new cases were confirmed in the US, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.