With Covid-19 cases surging across Europe, Austria has introduced harsh measures to reduce the spread of the virus.
Those living in Austria who are not fully vaccinated have been put under lockdown as of Monday 15th November, and are only allowed to leave home for a limited number of reasons such as essential food shopping or work. Winter holidaymakers will also be subjected to harsher entry requirements.
Travellers visiting Austria can still enter the country and avoid quarantine restrictions provided they can show that they are fully vaccinated, otherwise, they must complete a pre-travel clearance form up to 72 hours before they travel to Austria and self-isolate for 10 days upon their arrival.
It’s worth noting, Austria is one of the few countries that has introduced an expiration date for vaccine passports. The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) has provided information on the expiration date rules for visitors to Austria. The guidance states: “For double-shot vaccines (e.g. AstraZeneca, Moderna), you must show that you received the second injection no more than 360 days before arrival. If you received a booster more than 120 days after being fully immunised, this must not have been more than 360 days before arrival.”
Furthermore, the vaccine expiration time frame is due to reduce again from Monday, December 6th, meaning Austria (and a handful of other destinations) will only consider visitors as fully vaccinated for 270 days after receiving a second or third dose of an approved vaccine. For more information on the entry requirements necessary for Austria click here.
With ski season fast approaching, it is important that all winters sports holidaymakers are aware of the change in rules for entering Austria. Being unable to provide the necessary documentation when arriving or leaving a country, and as a result, being denied entry to your holiday destination is not something that a travel insurance policy would cover. Therefore, anyone caught in these circumstances could end up missing their holiday and losing the money they paid for the holiday too.
So, to avoid being caught out by any new travel guidance or entry requirements, we would recommend that travellers always take the time to fully read up on the entry requirements of the destination they plan to visit via the FCDO’s website.
