Oslo: The Norwegian Government on Friday (Aug 20) introduce entry restrictions and quarantine requirements for several areas in the Nordic region, two countries in Europe, and some third countries. This decision is based on an updated assessment of the infection rate by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and is intended to reduce the risk of imported cases of COVID-19. The changes will enter into effect on Monday 23 August at 12 am.
A text message with being sent to people with a Norwegian mobile phone subscription who are staying in the countries that will be subject to changed entry restrictions upon arrival in Norway.
Everyone travelling to Norway from abroad, except countries/regions in the EEA/Schengen/United Kingdom which have a sufficiently low infection rate (green countries/regions shown on the map below) must go into entry quarantine for up to 10 days unless they are covered by the exemption provisions in the COVID-19 Regulations. People arriving from green countries and regions must also go into quarantine if they have visited or transited through an orange/red/grey/purple country or region during the past 10 days. However, if you are arriving from a green country/region having travelled via an orange/red country/region without using public transport, without staying overnight there and without having had close contact with anyone other than members of your own household, you do not need to go into quarantine after arriving in Norway.
Fully vaccinated people and those who have had COVID-19 during the past six months are exempt from entry quarantine. Protected people who received their first vaccine dose between three and 15 weeks ago and children under 18 must go into entry quarantine, but may end their quarantine if they test negative no earlier than three days after arrival.
Currently, only presentation of a COVID-19 certificate (Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, EU or NHS England and Wales digital COVID certificate) with a QR code which can be verified by the Norwegian authorities is considered to be secure and verifiable way of proving vaccination or previous illness.
Travel outside the EEA/Schengen and the UK still not advised
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs still advises against non-essential travel to countries outside the EEA/Schengen area and the UK. There are exemptions for a few areas and countries on the EU’s list of third countries, known as purple countries. The travel advice for the rest of the world will apply until 1 September 2021.
Countries in Europe
Entry restrictions and travel quarantine are introduced for the following countries:
Latvia and Germany (changed from green to orange).
The following countries will remain green:
Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
The following countries will remain orange or red, or change from orange to red (the same rules apply to orange and red countries:
Orange: Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, Croatia, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Austria.
Red: Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Malta, France, Estonia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Lithuania, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein (changed from orange).
The following countries will remain dark red:
Andorra, Cyprus, Spain, the UK, and Monaco.
Sweden
Entry restrictions and quarantine requirements are being introduced for eight new regions in Sweden. There are no longer any green regions in Sweden.
Entry restrictions and travel quarantine are introduced for the following regions:
Blekinge, Dalarna, Jönköping, Kalmar, Kronoberg, Västernorrland (these regions will move from green to orange), Gävleborg, and Örebro (these two will change from green to red).
The following regions will remain orange or red, or change from orange to red (the same rules apply to orange and red regions):
Orange: Östergötland, Norrbotten, Södermanland, and Uppsala.
Red: Gotland, Halland, Stockholm, Värmland, Västerbotten, Västmanland, Västra Götaland (changed from orange to red), Skåne (changed from orange to red), and Jämtland (changed from orange to red).
Denmark
No changes to entry restrictions or quarantine requirements. All regions in Denmark (with the exception of the Faeroe Islands) continue to be subject to entry restrictions and quarantine requirements.
The Faeroe Islands will remain green, while Greenland will change the category from orange to red (the same rules apply to orange and red regions).
The following regions will remain orange or red:
Orange: Zealand and Southern Denmark.
Red: The capital (including Copenhagen), Central Denmark, and North Jutland.
Finland
Entry restrictions and quarantine requirements are being introduced for two regions in Finland. This means that only one region in Finland remains green.
The following regions will change from green to orange:
Central Ostrobothnia and Eastern Savolax.
The following regions will remain green:
Länsi-Pohja.
The following regions will remain orange or red:
Orange: Kymmenlaakso, Kainuss, Central Finland, South Savo, Central Tavastland, Satakunta, North Karelia, the Åland Islands, North Ostrobothnia, North Savo, Päijat-Häme, Vaasa, and South Ostrobothnia.
Red: Helsinki and Uusimaa, Southwest Finland, Lapland, Pirkanmaa, and South Karelia.
Selected archipelagos in Europe
Selected archipelagos will be assessed separately in order to allow safe travel to islands that are popular holiday destinations for Norwegians. No changes are being made to the entry restrictions and quarantine requirements for any of these archipelagos.
All of the selected archipelagos will continue to be subject to entry restrictions and quarantine requirements.
The following archipelagos will remain orange or red:
Orange: Madeira and Portugal.
Red: The Azores (Portugal), the Canary Islands (Spain), the Northern Aegean Islands (Greece), Sardinia (Italy), and Sicily (Italy).
The following archipelagos will remain dark red and trigger a duty to stay at a quarantined hotel:
The Balearic Islands (Spain), Corsica (France), Crete (Greece), the Southern Aegean Islands (Greece), and the Ionian Islands (Greece).
Purple countries
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health assesses the countries and areas on the EU’s list of third countries which have an infection rate that warrants slightly lighter entry restrictions when travelling to Norway, such as an exemption from the duty to stay at a quarantined hotel. These countries are known as ‘purple countries’.
The following countries and areas are no longer purple:
Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, and Moldova.
These countries and areas will turn purple:
Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Taiwan.
