As the vaccination rates nationaly and internationally progress and we learn more about the coronavirus. More will be possible in terms of travelling. However, you will have to prepare well to be able to travel safely. For example, it is important to find out in advance which restrictions apply in the country of your destination and which requirements you must meet to enter the country. It may also be wise to think in advance what to do if you become infected during your trip or a new lockdown introduced in the country of origin or destination. Vaccinatiecentrum.nl is happy to help you on your way.
Be well prepared for your trip
Good preparation is key. The exact rules you have to follow before departure, during your journey and when you return, differ per country and are constantly adjusted based on the course of the pandemic. For the most current rules that apply in and around the country of your destination, you can consult this government website: https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/. Here you can read, for example, whether you must be in possession of a negative covid test or must first be quarantined after arrival.
Travelling with a covid certificate
Within the European Union and the Schengen zone you can use the covid proof of the Dutch CoronaCheck app. In this app you can create a QR code with which you can prove that you have been vaccinated, have recently tested negative or have recovered from an infection with the coronavirus. In general, a vaccination certificate is only valid when you have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks.
If you have not yet been vaccinated, you must be able to show a negative text proof. How old this test certificate may be differs per country. This is between 24 and 96 hours.
Finally, you can use a recovery certificate, which shows that you have had a corona infection in the past 11 to 180 days. This contamination must then be demonstrated by a corona test from the GGD. This does not include certificates from vaccinatiecentrum.nl.
Reis je buiten de EU of de Schengenzone? Mogelijk gelden er dan andere regels. In sommige landen buiten Europa kun je alsnog gebruik maken van CoronaCheck door je vaccinatiebewijs te printen. In de CoronaCheck-app vind je hoe je dit precies kunt doen. In de reisadviezen per land van de overheid lees je welke eisen precies voor jouw reis van toepassing zijn.
Are you traveling outside the EU or the Schengen zone? Other rules may then apply. In some countries outside Europe you can still use CoronaCheck app by printing your vaccination certificate. You can find out exactly how to do this in the CoronaCheck app. On the website mentioned before you can find the government travel advice per country. You can read which requirements exactly apply to your trip.
Testing before travelling
Preventive testing before you travel is often sufficient to obtain a covid certificate within the European Union and the Schengen zone. In some cases, you must still be able to show a negative test result even when you have been fully vaccinated. A covid test for travel is different from the covid test done by the GGD. You can only contact the GGD if you have symptoms that match the coronavirus, if you have received a report from the CoronaMelder app or if you have emerged from source and contact research by the GGD. You cannot use the results of a covid test from the GGD as proof to travel.
You can go to vaccinatiecentrum.nl for a rapid antigen test or a NAAT(PCR) test. Which test you need to take depends on the requirements of the country you are traveling to.
Covid tests at vaccinatiecentrum.nl
Vaccinatiecentrum.nl offers three test methods validated by RIVM that you can use when preparing for your trip. Those are the PCR test, the rapid antigen test and the blood test. The PCR test shows whether you have covid at the time of testing. All countries accept a PCR test. At vaccinatiecentrum.nl you will receive the test result and the necessary travel document within 12-36 hours. Do you opt for a rapid antigen test? Then you will know the test result within 20 minutes. Please check first whether this test is sufficient to meet the requirements of your destination country or the carrier you are traveling with.
With a serological blood test you can show whether you have antibodies against covid. The test will show antibodies when you’ve had an infection and also when you’ve been vaccinated. With the serological test you show that you are protected to a certain extent against the virus.
When you know that you have been through a covid infection and have recovered from it, you can also contact us for a travel document with which you can prove this. You can see whether the country of your destination accepts such a document on the website https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/.
Not sure which test method is best for you? Feel free to call us on 085-9020303, we will answer your questions and you can make an appointment with us right away.
During your trip
During your trip you have to comply with the covid rules that apply in your destination country. This may mean, for example, that you have to wear a mouth mask, be able to show covid proof to visit an event or restaurant or keep a certain distance from other people. The exact rules that apply differ from country to country. Make sure you now the rules before you are travelling, so you won’t be faced with unexpected surprises.
Do you suffer from symptoms during your trip that are consistent with covid or have you been around someone who turns out to have covid? Then get yourself tested and follow the rules that apply in the country where you are staying. If the situation at your travel destination escalates quickly, you can keep an eye on the latest updates about your stay and return via the travel advice from the government. Always follow the advice of local authorities.
Travel home safely
To prevent the import of covid from abroad, the Dutch government requires travelers from certain countries to be tested before coming tot he Netherlands. This test is valid up to 72 hours. Of course you don’t want to risk that a delayed flight will cause your test result to be invalid, but at the same time you don’t want to risk that you have not yet received the result on the day of departure. How to book a covid test differs per country. It is therefore best to find out in advance and if possible schedule the test right away.
The quarantine rules when returning from abroad also change regularly. The government strongly advises people returning from abroad to quarantine for ten days when they return home. This is voluntary when returning from most European countries, but when returning from so-called “very high-risk areas” this quarantine is mandatory upon return. After the fifth day of your quarantine, you can undergo another covid test. When the outcome is negative, you can get out of quarantine. For current regulations, it is best to look at the website mentioned before.
Before your trip, check which rules apply to you and take this into account when planning. After a trip to a very high-risk area, you will not be able to work on location or participate in physical education for at least five days. Is there no mandatory quarantine for you and are you not willing or able to quarantine voluntarily? The government advises all travelers who show no symptoms to at least take a self-test. If you do have symptoms that match covid, you must be tested at the GGD.
We wish you a pleasant and above all healthy journey! And don’t forget: the coronavirus is not the only virus that you can (or should) be vaccinated against. Depending on your destination, it may also be mandatory or simply sensible to get vaccinated against other diseases, such as rabies, hepatitis, yellow fever or encephalitis. We are happy to tell you more about all these diseases and the vaccines that protect you against them. Feel free to contact us to schedule a consultation.
How to make an appointment for a covid test
To make an appointment for a PCR, antigen or serological test, we request you to call us to make an appointment: 085 902 03 03. We are reachable through office hours. You can also ask your questions via e-mail. You can reach us on info@vaccinatiecentrum.nl.
Attention! For the most recent rules and restrictions we advice to consult https://www.netherlandsworldwide.nl/.
This page was last updated on november 26 2021