Update Corona – Extension of quarantine and temporary travel ban
Last Friday, the Consultative Committee announced additional measures to prevent the further spread of new virus variants. A temporary ban on recreational tourism travel to and from Belgium was introduced.
The additional measures are as follows:
1. Restriction of non-essential travel
Travel for recreational tourism purposes to and from Belgium is prohibited from Wednesday 27 January to Monday 1 March 2021.
Anyone travelling to and from Belgium must be in possession of a sworn statement. The declaration of honour must be linked to the Passenger Locator Form and must be supported by the necessary documents.
Exceptions apply to essential travel that is permitted. In concrete terms, this concerns travel due to:
- Compelling family reasons (e.g. family reunification, travel in the context of co-parenting);
- Humanitarian reasons (e.g. travel for medical reasons and continuation of a medical treatment);
- Educational reasons (e.g. pupils, students and trainees on an exchange);
- Residents of border regions (e.g. travel as part of the daily life for activities that are also allowed in Belgium);
- Professional reasons for exercising the professional activity;
- Various (e.g. travel in the context of legal obligations).
2. Travellers from the United Kingdom, South Africa and South America
From Monday 25 January onwards, all travellers from the United Kingdom, South Africa and South America to Belgium will be required to spend ten days in quarantine with a PCR test on day 1 and day 7.
3. Double test on arrival
Every non-resident who travels to Belgium will have to be tested again upon arrival in Belgium, in addition to the obligatory negative test before departure. This can be done with a PCR test or a rapid antigen test.
4. Extended isolation
People who test positive for COVID-19 will now have to isolate themselves for ten days.
After a high-risk contact or travel to our country, the quarantine period remains ten days. This period can be shortened to a minimum of seven days, provided that a negative test can be presented, taken seven days after exposure at the earliest.