Internationals who are not included on the European Union “safe countries of origin” list and who are exempt from the EU travel ban will not be permitted to enter the Netherlands, from December 15, if they do not present a negative result of the Coronavirus test, the country’s government has announced.

The decision, which has been taken in a bid to stop the further spread of the virus in the Netherlands, will not include Dutch nationals and EU residents, together with their family members, travelling outside the European Union or Schengen Zone, and vice versa, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

“The negative test result and signed declaration is not an easing of the EU travel ban,” the government statement reads.

Starting from December 15, 2020, internationals who arrive in the Netherlands from countries that not belong to the categories mentioned above will need to comply with the following requirements:

• A negative result of the Coronavirus test
• A signed Negative Test Declaration

The negative result of the Coronavirus test must be in English, French, German, Spanish or Dutch.

Travellers will be required to present a negative result of the COVID-19 test and declaration if they:

• Come from a country outside the European Union list of safe countries;
• Come from countries outside the EU’s Schengen zone;
• Arrive by sea or air;
• Are over age 13;
• Are not included in any of the exemption categories;

Cross-border commuters, transit passengers, persons who hold a residence permit for the Netherlands and other European Union and Schengen Area Member States will not be required to present a negative result of the Coronavirus test.

From the decision will also be excluded persons who obtain a diplomatic identity card issued by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as nationals of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Andorra and Vatican City and Andorra, as well as their family members.

Over 576,960 persons have contracted the Coronavirus in the Netherlands, as yet, while a total of 9,841 persons have died, according to the statistics published by Worldometers.