Norway Expands Travel Restrictions As Covid-19 Cases Rise

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Many travelers who hope to visit Norway this fall remain disappointed with the longer travel … [+] restrictions.

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Norway’s strict entry ban on most non-EU / EEA residents has been extended following an increase in positive Covid-19 test results in the country. There is no indication of the length of the extension.

Many travelers were hoping that a change of government might signal a change in Norway’s border policy, but Norway’s new health minister Ingvild Kjerkol has decided the risk of importing a new infection remains too high.

Norway’s travel restrictions at a glance

This means that travelers planning to visit Norway for tourism purposes from the majority of non-EU / EEA countries will have to wait, with the exception of residents of so-called purple countries. At the time of this writing, the list of purple countries is very short and does not include the United States or Canada.

There are exemptions from the above ban, including people with close family members in Norway, foreign students or people with urgent professional reasons. However, some exempted people may still need to be quarantined.

People with a valid EU Covid digital certificate can enter Norway without quarantine. At present, Norway only accepts the EU certificate or systems compatible with it, such as the one issued by the UK NHS. Residents of EU / EEA countries without a certificate can still enter Norway, but may need quarantine depending on the status of their country of residence.

Concerns for the health system

Positive test results have risen sharply in the month since the former government led by Erna Solberg chose to lift all national restrictions except the entry ban for most non-EU residents.

Despite the increase in numbers, the current situation in Norway is “manageable” according to Kjerkol, who has ruled out for the moment a return to national restrictions.

121 people are being treated for Covid-19 at the hospital. That’s well below the high of over 300, recorded twice at the start of the pandemic.

Kjerkol said that while the number of patients admitted to hospital remains relatively low, this is not the only consideration: “We are not only concerned about the number of people admitted to intensive care in large hospitals, we are also concerned about the situation. in small rural municipalities that have smaller and more vulnerable health services.

In addition to extending the travel ban, Norway has also decided to continue its process of screening, isolation, contact tracing and quarantine linked to positive cases. However, everyday life remains mostly normal. Face masks are no longer mandatory in stores and airlines no longer require them on domestic and intra-Scandinavian flights.

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