Disclaimer: This post is not my way of saying “book your flight, pack your bags, and travel!” When the pandemic first started, I was very clear on my stance: do not travel. In fact, I only left my house a handful of times in 3 months. Nearly a year later, I believe that tremendous strides were made in the travel space to ensure passenger + employee safety. Airlines are taking incredible measures to create a cabin environment [safer] than your local grocery store … & many hotels are operating at 30% capacity under strict rules (as an example). When the latter is tied with the precautions that we now know to take – traveling can be safe. At the end of the day it is a personal choice and if you choose to travel, please be responsible. We can only contribute to reviving the industry IF we collectively do it right.
Below is a complete and updated list of countries that are open for tourism now. I excluded many countries in the EU as they are generally restricted to travelers only within the EU and many lockdowns are currently in place. I will do my best to update this list weekly but restrictions and regulations are updated daily if not hourly. Please note that [unless otherwise noted] many entry restrictions are based on your nationality, therefore you may need to double-check the requirements. I strongly recommend you do your own research on the official embassy/consular websites or through fantastic resources like this IATA travel map, which lists travel restrictions by country on an interactive map.
Did I miss something? Tell me in the comments!
Countries Reopening For Tourism
Last Updated: February 27th
Recent Updates/Additions: All countries updated
Albania
Open Without Restrictions
Albania reopened borders for international tourism on July 1, 2020.
All nations welcome. Only temperature checks at the airport. No tests. No quarantine.
Anguilla
Open – with restrictions
Anguilla reopened its borders for international tourism on August 21, 2020.
Anguilla requires visitors to get online approval with a PCR test before they arrive, as well as another once in the country. The fees for visiting are around $500 USD for a couple staying 1 week.
Antigua and Barbuda
Open – with restrictions
Antigua and Barbuda reopened to international visitors on June 4th.
Visitors will need to bring a negative PCR test.
Armenia
Open – with restrictions
Armenia has reopened borders for international tourism on August 12.
Armenia is requiring a 14-day quarantine from tourists BUT there’s an option to shorten/remove the quarantine in 2 ways. Arrivals can either bring a negative 72-hour PCR with them to circumvent quarantine – OR – they can schedule a PCR test in their hotel/rental, and when the test comes back negative, the tourists can leave quarantine early.
Aruba
Open – with restrictions
Aruba officially reopened borders for international arrivals starting in June.
All travelers must present proof of negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no longer than 72 hours before arrival.
Aruba also has a mandatory insurance policy all tourists must purchase, which costs around $30 per person.
Bahamas
Open – with restrictions
The Bahamas officially reopened again for tourism in October.
Tourists from all countries are welcome to visit the Bahamas at this time. A negative PCR test is required, taken no longer than 5 days before arrival, as well as another rapid test on-island for any stays longer than 5 days.
Barbados
Open – with restrictions
Barbados officially reopened for tourism on July 1, 2020, allowing travelers from all countries and nations to visit.
While all nations are welcome to visit the island nation of Barbados, there are different entry requirements depending on where the travelers are coming from.
USA, Canada, the UK, and other countries are currently considered ‘high-risk’, meaning 2 PCR tests are needed. (one prior and one on-island)
Belarus
Open – with restrictions
Belarus has reopened for international tourism as of July 15.
Covid-related entry requirements originally included: having travel health insurance and a 48 hour PCR test. However, now it is suggested that most arriving tourists will be subject to a 10-day quarantine.
Belize
Open – with restrictions
Belize has reopened borders on October 1, 2020.
The airport was originally scheduled to reopen on August 15th for international travel, but it was delayed until October 1.
All nations can visit, but everyone will need to bring a negative test no older than 72 hours.
Bermuda
Open – with restrictions
Bermuda reopened for tourism on July 1st and is accepting tourists arriving by air from all countries, as long as they adhere to health protocols set out by the local government, which include quite the list of requirements.
Depending on how long you stay, you could be required to take up to FIVE tests, one prior to arriving and up to 4 more on-island.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Open – with restrictions
On July 16, the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina lifted travel bans on several (mostly EU) countries and started officially reopening the nation for tourism.
BiH has now reopened for ALL nations as of September 2020.
A 48-hour PCR test is needed for all arrivals, with just a few exceptions.
Brazil
Open Without Restrictions
Brazil officially reopened its borders for tourism on July 30, 2020
No quarantines or tests are required for entry.
Chile
Open – with restrictions
Chile is reopened for tourism in December.
A PCR test is required, as well as a contact tracing app.
China
Partially Reopen
China has announced that Beijing will be reopening to international flights from 8 countries ending 5 months of lock-down in the Chinese capital.
- Canada
- Thailand
- Cambodia
- Pakistan
- Greece
- Denmark
- Austria
- Sweden
Travelers will undergo a state-run 14-day quarantine and must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours before arriving in China.
Colombia
Open Without Restrictions
Colombia reopened for international tourism on September 21
No testing and no quarantines are required.
Costa Rica
Open Without Restrictions
Visitors welcome as of November 1st.
Croatia
Open – with restrictions
As of June 1 2020, Croatia has now reopened to tourists, first by allowing in visitors from countries within the European Union.
Then on July 1st, Croatia decided to open to all nations, with a 48-hour PCR test.
Fall/Winter Note: As of December, Croatia is seeing some ‘light-lockdown’ changes within the country and potential border entry changes that have not yet been fully confirmed.
Cuba
Open – with restrictions
Cuba has reopened for tourism July 1, 2020 – Starting with the areas of Cuba: Cayo Largo Del Sur, Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Santa María and Cayo Cruz.
Havana and the rest of Cuba are now open as of December.
Testing is required on arrival.
Curaçao
Open – with restrictions
Curaçao has reopened for tourism and starting accepting select Caribbean nations in mid-June, and other countries like Canada, France, Italy and more as of July 1st.
Certain US states were added in October.
72-hour PCR Tests are needed.
Cyprus
Open – with restrictions
As of June, Cyprus is now open to select international tourists.
The countries that can enter are divided into 2 lists based on risk-factors and it’s updated frequently.
Dominica
Open – with restrictions
The island nation of Dominica is officially reopened for tourism on August 7, 2020
Tourists will have to bring a negative PCR test them, have a rapid test on arrival, quarantine for 5 days, with another rapid test to remove quarantine.
Dominican Republic
Open Without Restrictions
Dominican Republic reopened to tourists starting on July 1, 2020
No test or quarantines are required, and all nations can visit.
3%-10% of arrivals will be randomly tested at the airport, but it’s an easy, fast, and painless breath-based test.
Ecuador
Open – with restrictions
Ecuador has now reopened for tourism
As of August 16, tourists can now travel to Ecuador without quarantine, as long as they bring a negative PCR test, no older than 10 days.
Egypt
Open – with restrictions
Egypt first reopened its borders for tourism to seaside resorts starting on July 1st and later expanded to other areas.
All arrivals will need to bring a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 72 hours prior to departure of the last direct flight into the country.
Ethiopia
Open – with restrictions
Ethiopia has reopened its borders on September 23, 2020 and is now again allowing tourists and foreigners to enter the country.
All passengers, whether foreigners or nationals, must present proof of a negative PCR test before boarding their flight to Ethiopia, as well at customs upon arrival. The test needs to be taken with results available, no longer than 120 hours prior to the departing flight.
Estonia
Open – with restrictions
Estonia has officially reopened for tourism.
Most EU nations have been able to visit since June 1, 2020, and select third-party countries from July 6, 2020.
Most arrivals will be subject to a 10-day quarantine, but with an option to ‘test-out’ for 67 Euros.
Georgia
Open – with restrictions
Georgia officially reopened on July 31 but only allowing 5 nations in restriction-free.
Now as of December, a total of 18 European nations are approved for visiting, but with testing and quarantine requirements.
Ghana
Open – with restrictions
Ghana has reopened for tourism as of September 1.
All passengers must bring results of a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 72 hours prior to departure. The test must be taken in the country of origin.
Another test may be performed at the airport upon arrival, at the cost of the passenger. News reports have suggested this test could cost up to $150 USD and will have results in around 30 minutes.
Grenada
Open – with restrictions
Grenada has reopened borders for tourism as of July 15th
All arrivals must bring a negative PCR test taken no longer than 7 days prior to arrival, and passengers from high-risk countries will take another on Day 4 of their trip.
Guadeloupe
Open – with restrictions
Guadeloupe reopened for tourism on July 1, 2020 allowing select nations to visit.
The USA however remains banned until further notice.
Visitors must sign a sworn health declaration and bring a negative PCR test wit 72 hours of departure.
Guatemala
Open – with restrictions
Guatemala has reopened its international airport for tourists on September 18th, 2020.
All nations can visit with testing.
All passengers must have a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 72 hours prior to the flight. Antigen tests are also permitted if PCR is not possible.
Haiti
Open Without Restrictions
Haiti has officially reopened for tourism and is allowing all nations to visit as of July 1
Entry requirements are a temperature scan and a health form.
Honduras
Open – with restrictions
Honduras has officially reopened airports and is now allowing international tourism to resume in the country as of August 17, 2020.
All countries welcome!
Tourists entering Honduras must present a Covid test (rapid, antigen or PCR) that was performed with negative results no older than 72 hours prior to arrival.
Iceland
Open – with restrictions
Iceland has reopened the country’s borders to tourists from June 15.
Iceland has implemented a double border-screening procedure that requires all passengers arriving in Iceland to undergo two PCR-tests: one upon arrival and another 5-6 days later, while quarantining for those 5-6 days.
Iceland is still restricted to visitors from the EU and a small list of third-party nations.
Jamaica
Open – with restrictions
Jamaica officially reopened its borders to ALL international tourists on June 15, 2020.
Travelers from high-risk countries (like the USA) will need to bring a negative PCR, antigen, or nucleic acid test, taken no longer than 10 days before arrival.
Jordan
Open – with restrictions
Jordan reopened its borders for international tourism on September 8, 2020.
Countries permitted will be classified into three categories, red, yellow, and green – depending on the scale of the COVID-19 outbreak within their own borders.
General entry rules include bringing a negative PCR test, plus a 7-day quarantine.
Kenya
Open – with restrictions
Kenya reopened for international tourism on August 1st, 2020.
Passengers entering or transiting must bring a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 96 hours prior to arrival.
Kosovo
Open – with restrictions
Kosovo has reopened for tourism as in June, 2020.
72-hour negative PCR test from any passenger coming from a country with more than 60 cases per 100,000 population.
Kyrgyzstan
Open – with restrictions
Kyrgyzstan has officially reopened for tourism on August 21, now allowing select countries to once again visit since shutting its borders to foreigners in March.
31 countries can now visit with proof of a 72-hour negative PCR test.
Lebanon
Open – with restrictions
Lebanon reopened for tourism on July 1
Travelers must bring a negative PCR test within 796 hours of departure, carry travel insurance that covers covid and fill out a health declaration form.
Lithuania
Had Reopened – but experiencing new restrictions/closures
Lithuania started reopening in June, 2020.
EU nations and select third-party nations were welcomed with summer with very little restriction.
Fall/Winter Note: In November, Lithuania went into lockdown. EU+ nations can still enter, but with a 10-day quarantine or with proof of a 48-hour negative PCR test.
Maldives
Open – with restrictions
The Maldives reopened borders for tourism on July 15, 2020
Tourists from all countries will be able to enter the Maldives.
Travelers will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test that was taken no more than 96 hours prior to departure. Travelers are also required to fill out a health declaration form within 24 hours of arrival.
Malta
Open – with restrictions
Malta reopened for tourism on July 1, 2020, allowing visitors from 20+nations to enter the country without an isolation period or testing.
Fall/Winter Note: While Malta has seen a few closures and heightened restrictions, it has not gone into lockdown like other EU nations. Malta still has a decent-sized list of countries that can visit without restrictions and another list of who can enter, but with a negative PCR test.
Mexico
Open Without Restrictions
Mexico officially reopened for tourism on June 6, 2020.
Since its reopening, Mexico has seen one of the greatest tourism recoveries in the world. All major tourist sites, cities, and hotels have reopened and are actively campaigning for visitors.
No tests and no quarantines are required. All nations welcome.
Montenegro
Open – with restrictions
As of June 1st 2020, Montenegro has now reopened to tourists and accepting international arrivals from 131 countries.
Many nations can enter without restrictions and certain high-risk countries (like the USA) can still enter by bringing proof of a negative PCR test.
Nepal
Delayed – Not fully reopen yet for tourism
Nepal has delayed reopening its borders for international tourism until December 2020.
Only those issued permits before the closure will first be allowed to enter. Travelers arriving in Nepal must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no longer than 72 hours before departure.
Nicaragua
Open – with restrictions
Nicaragua reopened for tourists on October 1.
In fact, Nicaragua never really closed their borders for tourism in the first place, but flights were suspended, effectively cutting the nation off to tourists.
Flights from cities like Miami, Houston and Mexico City resumed Oct 1.
A 72 negative PCR test is needed to enter.
Nigeria
Open – with restrictions
Nigeria has reopened for tourism as of September 5, 2020.
Entry rules are pretty strict – All arrivals will need to bring a negative PCR test, quarantine for 7 days upon arrival, and then perform another PCR test on the 7th day to end quarantine.
North Macedonia
Open Without Restrictions
The Republic of North Macedonia has officially reopened for international tourism July 1, 2020 and is now allowing tourists from all countries to visit, restriction-free.
No testing and no quarantines are required. All nations welcome.
Oman
Open – with restrictions
Oman is open for tourism to 100+ countries.
They are allowing 100+ foreign nationals to enter for up to 10 days visa-free. Insurance, PCR test among things necessary for entry.
See the official Oman consulate page in your region for more info.
Panama
Open – with restrictions
Panama has officially reopened for tourism on October 12, 2020.
All nations are welcome to visit, but they must bring a 48-hour negative PCR test.
Pakistan
Open – with restrictions
Pakistan officially reopened its borders for tourism on October 5, 2020.
All passengers must provide proof of a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 96 hours before the first embarkation point.
Paraguay
Open – with restrictions
Negative PCR test within 72 hours required.
Peru
Open – with restrictions
Peru reopened for tourism starting on October 5, 2020.
Flights are currently permitted from other Latin American cities, plus some in the US and Canada.
All visitors need to bring proof of a negative PCR test
Russia
Open – with restrictions
Russia began reopening to a small list of nations on July 15, 2020, which has seen some additions over the past few months.
20 nations in total can now go.
PCR testing is required to avoid quarantine.
Rwanda
Open – with restrictions
As of June 17, Rwanda has reopened for tourism, with no restrictions based on nationality or country of departure.
Visitors will be required to present a negative PCR test (taken no longer than 120 hours before boarding) and will be retested upon arrival.
International flights are starting back up and will get more frequent as the demand grows.
Saint Lucia
Open – with restrictions
Saint Lucia began reopening its tourism industry in phases on June 4, 2020
Visitors will be required to fill out an online form, present certified proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 7 days of boarding their flights.
Serbia
Open – with restrictions
Serbia has officially reopened for tourism to all nations.
Serbia is asking for 72-hour negative PCR test.
All other nations can visit Serbia without testing or quarantines.
Seychelles
Open– with restrictions
As of June 1st Seychelles reopened to tourists from 19 countries, and since reopening, have now added another 20+ countries to the list.
All arrivals will need to bring proof of a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 72 hours prior to departing their home country.
South Africa
Open – with restrictions
South Africa reopened for tourism on October 1, 2020.
All passengers will be required to present the negative result of a PCR test, taken no longer than 72 hours prior to departure.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has reopened its borders for international tourism in January 2021
Tourists will be limited on where they can stay and go within the country for the first 14 days.
St. Barth
Open – with restrictions
St.Barths reopened its borders for tourism on June 22, 2020 and allowing visitors from all countries to enter.
St. Kitts & Nevis
Open – with restrictions
St. Kitts & Nevis reopened its borders for international tourism in October.
Entry requirements are strict including bringing a negative PCR test, quarantining for 7 days, and taking another test to be released.
St. Maarten
Open – with restrictions
St. Maarten officially reopened for international tourism on July 1, 2020
All arrivals will need to bring a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 120 hours prior to arrival, as well as fulfill a few additional rules.
St. Vincent and The Grenadines
Open– with restrictions
St. Vincent and the Grenadines reopened for tourism on July 1, 2020, allowing tourists from all countries to visit.
Arrivals must bring a PCR test taken no longer than 5-days before arrival, be re-tested again upon arrival, complete a 5-day quarantine, and then take a 3rd test.
Tanzania
Open Without Restrictions
As of June 2020, Tanzania is now accepting tourists under normal and regular ‘pre-covid’ border rules.
No mandatory quarantine period is currently in place however, temperature checks, mask-wearing, and social distancing is in effect.
No testing is required.
Thailand
Reopen four tourism – with 14-day quarantine in place (good for long term / digital nomad travel).
Tunisia
Open – with restrictions
Tunisia reopened its sea, land, and air borders to select tourists on June 27.
All arrivals into Tunisia will need to bring proof of a negative PCR test, taken no longer than 72 hours prior to the first embarkation point, plus quarantine for 7 days, of which another negative PCR test can release from quarantine on Day 7.
Turkey
Open Without Restrictions
Turkey has reopened its borders to international tourism starting on June 12th.
As of June 12th, they have been welcoming all tourists from all countries and nations under normal travel regulations.
No testing, no quarantines.
Fall/Winter Note: While Turkey has been seeing some regional restrictions within the country throughout November and December, hotel stays are still permitted and the entry requirements have not changed.
Turks and Caicos
Open – with restrictions
The Turks and Caicos Islands began reopening to tourists on July 22, 2020.
An online travel authorization is needed, plus the negative results of a PCR test, taken no longer than 5 days before arrival.
UAE (Dubai)
Open – with restrictions
Dubai, UAE officially reopened its borders for international tourism on July 7, 2020.
Travelers must bring a negative PCR test with them no older than 96 hours before boarding, download an app to monitor health conditions, and have travel health insurance.
Uganda
Open – with restrictions
On October 1, 2020, Uganda officially reopened both air and land borders and is once again allowing tourists to visit.
All travelers will need a 72 hour negative PCR test to enter.
Ukraine
Ukraine has officially reopened for tourism on June 15, 2020.
Countries on the ‘GREEN Zone’ list can come in with no quarantine period.
Fall/Winter Note: Ukraine is considering a 3-week lockdown starting Jan 1 2021. They had already re-closed borders in September for a full month to help curb the spread, so any traveler should know plans might be very interrupted at any time.
USA
Partially Open – with restrictions
The U.S did not close its borders to all countries. They suspended tourist visas and banned Europe, Iran, Brazil, and China from entering the United States.
Currently, there are a few countries that can travel to the USA. They include countries that do not have a ban proclamation and countries that normally have visa-free access.
U.S. Virgin Islands
Open – with restrictions
The U.S. Virgin Islands has officially reopened their borders for tourism on June 1st, allowing both American visitors and international visitors to enter.
Now, they require a PCR or nucleic acid test to be taken no more than 5 days before traveling to the islands.
Zambia
Open – with restrictions
Zambia has now officially reopened for tourism.
All nations welcome.
All tourists need to bring a negative PCR test taken within 14 days of departure, and they do not have to quarantine upon arrival.
Reports are that Zambia still has its visa-on-arrival program suspended, so some travelers may need to plan and get an e-visa ahead of time.
Zimbabwe
Open – with restrictions
Zimbabwe officially reopens for tourism on October 1, 2020.
All tourists need to bring a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of departure.
Parks, safaris, adventure walks, game drives, and other attractions have reopened.
See more on Zimbabwe reopening for tourism.
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