Immigration updates – 18th of February

General Updates

Denmark

Effective 1 March 2022, applications for residence and work permit extensions must meet the current Danish salary criteria, rather than the salary criteria in the employment contract on the basis of which the original permit was granted.

This applies to the positive list for people with a higher education, the positive list for skilled work, the pay limit scheme, the fast-track scheme’s pay limit track and researcher track among others.

COVID-19 Updates

This week, many governments have again updated their COVID-19 measures and/or the lists of countries or regions affected.

Please find some highlights below – for more information on COVID-19 restrictions in any country, please get in touch. We’re happy to help.

Austria

• Effective 22 February, the 3-G rule (vaccinated, recovered OR PCR tested) will replace the current “2-G+” rule (vaccinated or recovered AND PCR tested or boosted).

Belgium

• Effective 18 February 2022:
  • Non-residents who travel to Belgium from EU/Schengen countries or third countries, regardless of the colour code of the departure country, must have a valid vaccination, test or recovery certificate.
  • Non-residents presenting one of these certificates are no longer required to test on day 1 or day 7 or to quarantine.
  • Belgian residents who cannot present one of these certificates and coming from risk countries must perform a rapid antigen or PCR test within 24 hours after arrival.
    • This applies to dark red countries in the EU and third countries not on the EU’s white list.
  • The vaccination certificate is valid for 270 days after the final dose of the primary vaccination and indefinitely with a booster vaccination.
  • The test certificate is valid for 24 hours for a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT). PCR tests remain valid for 72 hours.

Bulgaria

• Effective 17 February 2022:
• Dark red countries:
  • Travellers from these countries are required to present a valid digital EU COVID certificate for vaccination or recovery (or equivalent); AND a test result (PCR up to 72 hours before entry OR proof of a booster dose.
  • Entry without a valid digital EU COVID certificate or equivalent, but instead with a 10-day home quarantine, is permitted for Bulgarian citizens and residents and their family members.
  • Dark red countries currently includeAfghanistan, Bahrain, Cayman Islands, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Caledonia, North Korea, Palau, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tanzania.
• Red countries:
  • Travellers are required to present a valid digital EU COVID certificate for vaccination or recovery or negative test result (PCR up to 72 hours before entry, antigen up to 48 hours before entry) or equivalent.
  • Entry without a valid digital EU COVID certificate or equivalent, but instead with a 10-day home quarantine, is permitted for Bulgarian citizens and residents and their family members.
  • Red zone countriescurrently include Albania, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Curacao, Cyprus, Czechia, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Singapore, Spain, St. Kids and Nevis, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay.
• Green countries (currently none):
  • Travellers are required to present a valid digital EU COVID certificate for vaccination or recovery or negative test result (PCR up to 72 hours before entry, antigen up to 48 hours before entry) or equivalent.
  • Entry without a valid digital EU COVID certificate or equivalent, but instead with a 10-day home quarantine, is permitted.
• Orange countries (all those not in the green, red or dark red lists):

• Travellers are required to present a valid digital EU COVID certificate for vaccination or recovery or negative test result (PCR up to 72 hours before entry, antigen up to 48 hours before entry) or equivalent.
• Entry without a valid digital EU COVID certificate or equivalent, but instead with a 10-day home quarantine, is permitted.
• Unrestricted entry is permitted for:
  • Citizens and residents of Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey who travel daily or weekly to Bulgaria for work or study, and for citizens and residents of Bulgaria who travel daily or weekly to Greece, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia or Turkey for work or study.
  • Transit.
  • Children aged under 12 years.
  • Persons arriving from countries with which the Republic of Bulgaria has reached an agreement on a reciprocal basis for free movement of their citizens and persons with the status of permanent, long-term or continuous residence and their family members, upon arrival from the other country.

France

• Effective 16 February 2022, the following countries are added to the green list:
  • Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chad, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Ecuador, Fiji, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritius, Laos, Mauritania, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela and Vietnam.
• Effective 12 February 2022, requirements for travel from orange list countries, including the United Kingdom,are eased:
  • For vaccinated travellers:
    • No more pre-departure testing.
    • Proof of vaccination and a sworn statement.
    • No proof of a compelling reason, and no self-isolation.
  • For unvaccinated travellers:
    • No more self-isolation.
    • A negative result of a pre-departure COVID test carried out up to 72 hours (PCR) or 48 hours (antigen) before departure.
    • Proof of a compelling reason for travel, and a sworn statement.
    • On-arrival testing may be carried out.

Greece

• Effective 7 February 2022:
  • Travellers to Greece holding an EU digital COVID certificate (EUDCC), or an equivalent from one of the non-EU countries participating in the EUDCC (or, effective 12 February 2022, from Australia, Canada, or the United States) are no longer required to present a negative result of a pre-departure COVID test.
    • Non-EU countries participating in the EUDCC include Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Cape Verde, El Salvador, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Northern Macedonia, Norway, Panama, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vatican.
  • All other inbound travellers, regardless of vaccination status, are required to present a negative result of a PCR test carried out no more than 72 hours before entry, or a rapid test carried out no more than 24 hours before entry.

Netherlands

• Effective 25 February 2022:
  • People travelling from an EU/Schengen country without proof of vaccination or recovery must always show a negative test result, even if the risk of COVID is low in that country.
  • Travellers arriving in the Netherlands are no longer required to self-quarantine.

Norway

• Effective 12 February 2022, there are no requirements for testing, quarantine or registration upon arrival in Norway.

Switzerland

• Effective 17 February 2022, health-related measures for persons entering the country are to be lifted. It will no longer be necessary to provide proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test or complete an entry form.