Much has been said as of late about vaccination, vaccination certificates, and requirements to travel in Europe.
Is vaccination against COVID-19 mandatory to travel in Europe? The answer to this question is: No! Vaccination is not a mandatory requirement to travel in Europe and the vaccine is voluntary for Europeans.
However, the European Union does plan to implement a vaccination certificate, and vaccinated citizens will be allowed to travel and cross borders without being subject to quarantine measures and PCR testing.
Even still, the proposal of a vaccination passport continues to raise some issues amongst member-states, be it relative to the efficacy of the vaccines, be it regarding eventual discrimination and differences in the treatment of vaccinated and non-vaccinated travelers.
And could it be that vaccination against Covid-19 will be required to obtain Schengen visas? Currently, there is no official confirmation on this matter. Because of the pandemic, requests and processes to be awarded visas for risk areas have been suspended.
And in the future, will vaccination be required to travel by plane? The aviation sector has already manifested its support for the idea of an immunization passport and IATA upholds that idea, especially for long-haul flights.
So, in the future, even if a country dispenses the requirement for vaccination, it is still best to verify airlines' terms and conditions because they may require it, for the safety of passengers and cabin crew.
At the moment, there are many questions and endless doubts generating a lot of uncertainty about the future.
