The National Security Council of Belgium has decided to permit entry for travellers from the Schengen Area and the European Union, including the United Kingdom, starting from June 15.
The decision has been taken on June 3, during a meeting of the National Security Council, in which was also present the Minister-President, approved the transition to Phase 3 of the phase-out plan starting on June 8, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
According to a press release to Belgium.be, an official Belgian portal that provides access to all the online information and services proposed by public authorities in Belgium, borders will open to 31 countries on June 15.
“However, it is up to each country to decide whether to open its borders. To know the situation in the country of destination, it is, therefore, advisable to consult the website of the FPS Foreign Affairs. The conditions for travel outside of Europe have yet to be defined in light of the evolution of discussions at the European level,” the press release points out.
It also notes, that from June 8, it will be possible to travel inside of Belgium with trips lasting one or more days.
The Council has asserted that health indicators are encouraging, and health experts have given the green light to authorities to open borders and lift several other restrictions.
However, the authorities have pointed out safety distance rules are still valid. Exempt are only those within the same family children under the age of 12 and for people with whom there is closer contact, i.e. the extended bubble. Mouth covering mask is obligatory for those who cannot respect the safety distance rules.
Group meetings are still limited to a maximum of 10 people, including children, and working from home is still recommended where possible. Swimming pools, saunas and wellness centres have to remain closed at this stage.
Several other EU countries have announced they will open their borders to EU nationals starting from June 15, including Greece, France and Iceland.
Here you can check a full timeline of the reopening of borders by the EU countries and the Schengen Member States.