Europe Eases Travel Restrictions

Following a disastrous year of global lockdowns, restrictions and in many countries, complete travel bans, European countries are starting to re-open their doors to foreign visitors again. The situation remains fluid and can change quickly depending on the pandemic’s status, but as successful vaccination programmes are being rolled out across the EU and Covid-19 cases continue to decline, the future of travel is looking much more promising than it did in 2020.

Over the last year, there has been a significant surge in demand for second residency and citizenship by investment programmes and despite travel limitations, many investors have proceeded with Golden Visa investments remotely, from the comfort of their own home. Investors who may have been holding back until they can travel are now starting to move forward and make plans to view real estate in their desired country. 

For the latest travel requirements, we urge investors to firstly check their own country’s requirements as well as the destination country, before arranging any travel plans to visit. We would also advise monitoring the country’s requirements closely to stay ahead of any changes before a visit, allowing yourself enough time to make amendments to your plans if needed. 

From May 14th 2021, Greece are now allowing residents from the following countries to visit: China, Qatar, United Kingdom, USA, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Australia, North Macedonia, Canada, Belarus, Bahrain, New Zealand, South Korea, Kuwait, Ukraine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Thailand, Rwanda. For the latest travel guidelines in Greece, please visit the government’s website. 

Likewise, Portugal is now also allowing international visitors from several non-EU to enter Portugal, providing they meet testing or vaccination requirements. For the latest updates in Portugal, please see these official links:
ANA Portugal 
Visit Portugal 

For travel requirements to all other EU countries, we recommend checking the European Unions Website 

Statistics on the number of cases per country and number of vaccinations administered can also be found on The World Health Organisation’s website.

It is also important to note that should you be unable to visit or simply do not wish to travel, it is still possible to apply remotely for most Investor visa programmes. Our expert advisors will be able to assist you in making an informed investment decision and proceed with your second residency or citizenship application from a distance. For further details on how La Vida can assist, please do get in touch.