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Croatia Is the First EU Country to Welcome Back US Travelers

Croatia Travel News
by Eben Diskin Jul 10, 2020

US travelers’ summer plans to head to Europe were trashed at the end of June when the EU announced it would bar Americans from entering the European Union because of the country’s poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s still pretty much true, with one exception: Croatia.

The EU recently announced its recommendation that the bloc’s external borders would be closed to most nations. There was one loophole, however. The EU’s member states are free to ignore the recommendation, at the risk of facing repercussions from their neighbors. Croatia has decided to defy the EU’s recommendation and open its borders to US travelers starting on July 1.

According to the US Embassy in Zagreb, starting July 1, “foreign nationals, including US citizens, may enter Croatia for business, tourism, or other pressing personal reasons, if they provide relevant proof.”

This “proof” simply refers to a receipt of paid accommodation within the country, whether that be a hotel or Airbnb booking.

Ivan Vukovic, a licensed tour guide in Dubrovnik, told Forbes, “There have already been American tourists in Croatia cruising on their chartered yachts in the Adriatic. But now as of a couple of days ago, Croatia officially opened the borders to Americans.”

No COVID-19 test is required for entry, and travelers will not be asked to quarantine upon entering the country. If you’re planning to visit Croatia, all you’ll have to do is fill out an online registration form with some personal information, as well as a disclosure of whether you’ve been recently exposed to COVID-19.

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