Valletta — Malta has withdrawn a rule that would have allowed only people with proof of having been vaccinated against the coronavirus to enter the country after the European Commission raised concerns that it might impede the right to free movement within the 27-nation bloc.
In a revised regulation issued late Tuesday, the Maltese government said people arriving without a recognized vaccination certificate would have to quarantine upon arrival in the nation.
The authorities are currently only accepting vaccine certificates from the EU, Switzerland and the UK.
According to the Malta Airport authorities, vaccine certificates from Dubai and Turkey are also being accepted from Wednesday, although the government has not announced this change.
And although in principle, anyone who has the EU’s digital COVID certificate (EUDCC) can show the authorities they are fully vaccinated, tested for the virus or have already contracted COVID-19 in the past, the Maltese authorities will only recognise the vaccine part of this document.
Importantly, the vaccine also is approved by the European Medicines Authority – ie, Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Janssen (Johnson & Johnson).
There is some confusion around whether Malta will accept people who were vaccinated with three batches of the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in India.
The Maltese government issued a legal notice late Tuesday with revised travel rules that came into effect on Wednesday. The notice lists countries from which people can travel to Malta. It says individuals with a recognized COVID-19 vaccination certificate can enter the country freely, while those without one must quarantine for 14 days.
The Malta Tourism Authority warned Wednesday that anyone arriving in Malta without proof of having received a European-approved vaccine would be forced to quarantine in a hotel and pay a minimum accommodation fee of 1,400 euros ($1,656) per room.
Anyone who cannot take a COVID-19 vaccine for medical reasons and children ages 5-11 are exempt from the quarantine but must present proof of a negative coronavirus test upon arrival. Children under age 5 don’t need a test result or certificate.
