Starting this Friday, all Costa Rican travelers flying to the Netherlands (Holland) will be exempt from mandatory quarantine. This, after the European country lowered the risk category for COVID from “very high” to “lower risk.” In this way, Costa Ricans will only need a vaccination certificate, with the complete schedule, or the negative result of a screening test. The latter can be antigens or PCR as confirmed by the Dutch Foreign Ministry to the Tico authorities.
Commitment to health protocols
Thanks to this measure, national travelers will not have to complete the quarantine form before traveling, explained the Minister of Tourism, Gustavo Segura. The Minister celebrated the news as it is a vote of confidence in the country’s efforts. Among them, he highlighted “the commitment of the private sector and citizens to health protocols.”
“Let us continue to take care of ourselves, respect the maximum protocols and apply distancing to achieve more positive news that adds to the gradual recovery of our economy, citizens and the tourism industry,” Segura said.
Sharp Contrast
The news from the Dutch government contrasts with the decision of other nations such as the United Kingdom and France to keep Costa Rica on a “red list.” As a result, Costa Rican citizens must do the mandatory quarantine upon arrival in these countries.
Indeed, the French authorities updated their list last week. However, they chose to keep Costa Rica on the highest risk list. For its part, the UK Foreign Ministry did the same in early June. In the meantime, nationals traveling to the Netherlands will only need to complete the Traveler’s Health Declaration. In addition, they must take into account the new validity periods of the SARS-CoV-2 virus detection test.
To do this, they can choose to:
– PCR test (NAAT) which must be done 48 hours before departure.
– Antigen test which must be performed 24 hours before departure.
On the other hand, the European country reported that Covid-19 recovery certificates will only be accepted if a positive PCR test, was carried out in the European Union.
