Which COVID-19 vaccines are accepted for travel to Europe?

Last update: November 30th, 2021.

European governments have been trying to find the most effective way to combat the virus while opening their economies and so far, the EU COVID certificate has been the main tool used throughout the EU.

Although the certificate facilitates free and unrestricted travel throughout the bloc, some countries have implemented further rules when traveling from high-risk areas, especially third countries (non-EU countries).

Not all vaccines and vaccine passports are accepted in Europe and countries are allowed to adjust their vaccine mandates how they see fit.

Approved vaccines for travel to Europe: EMA and WHO

The COVID-19 vaccines approved in Europe are Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. These have been recognized by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

A total of 29 countries in the European Union and European Economic Area are accepting these 4 vaccines for EU travel. These countries are:

Can I travel to Europe with a WHO ‘Emergency List’ vaccine?

Three other COVID-19 vaccines are recognized by only certain European countries: Covishield, Sinopharm, and Sinovac. These three have been recognized by the World Health Organization for emergency use.

Currently, not every country in Europe recognizes the validity of these COVID-19 vaccines for travel.

However, in an effort to restore free movement and revive the tourism economy, the European Commission (EC) has issued the following recommendation in a press release on November 25th:

“Member States should reopen systematically to those vaccinated with vaccines having completed the WHO emergency use listing process, in addition to reopening to those vaccinated with EU-approved vaccines as is the case today.”

This recommendation is due to apply from January 10th, 2022.

From this point on, travelers fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved vaccine should be able to freely travel to any European country. However, a pre-departure negative PCR test will be required for these travelers as an “essential safeguard”, according to the EC.

Is Covishield accepted for travel to Europe?

Covishield is the most widely recognized of the three and is accepted by 18 countries. The India-manufactured vaccine is accepted by:

Is Sinovac accepted for travel to Europe?

The Chinese produced Sinovac vaccine is accepted by:

Austria accepts travelers with this vaccine to cross borders, but they will not be allowed to access restaurants, hotels, and other services

Other countries in continental Europe that accept the Sinovac vaccine are Albania, Armenia, Georgia, Macedonia, and Serbia.

Is Sinopharm accepted for travel to Europe?

The second Chinese-manufactured vaccine, Sinopharm, is accepted by only a handful of countries in the EU.

Spain was one of the first countries to accept the vaccine and authorities explained that “any vaccine authorized for marketing by the European Medicines Agency, EMA and WHO will be accepted”.

Georgia, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro also accept Sinopharm while Austria also limits local access, as is the case with the Sinovac vaccine.

Mixed vaccine doses accepted for travel to Europe

Some countries are accepting a mix of vaccine doses and have indicated that it may provide more effective protection.

In Denmark, they will accept a combination of AstraZeneca and then either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, and residents of Denmark are also receiving these combinations locally.

Germany has also been promoting cross-vaccination, even administering Moderna and AstraZeneca to former Chancellor Angela Merkel. The German Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends one mRNA vaccine and one Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

France and Italy have also been accepting mixed vaccinations since March and June respectively.

Spain completed independent studies and subsequently authorized cross vaccination. Norway also accepts the practice and is working with British authorities to further recognize the process.

Criticism over European COVID-19 vaccine regulations

The European Travel Commission and other tourism stakeholders have called upon the European Commission to broaden the scope for acceptable vaccines in the EU.

The request is in an effort to safely restart tourism across the bloc and accelerate economic revival.

The ETC also suggested that the EU Commission and member states accept all seven vaccines approved by the WHO. This request has since been fulfilled, as shown in the aforementioned press release.

Moreover, they suggest that antigen tests should be an acceptable alternative to PCR tests as they can be more effective.

A unified exit plan is the next step in the fight against COVID according to the ETC. They are calling for clear guidelines for travel post-COVID and information on when the “color-coding system” will end.

They have asked for “Simple and clear rules that are the same throughout Europe – in order to avoid a patchwork of exit measures, similar to the ones we saw at the beginning of the crisis.”