[miningguy]

Putting a post here to see if anyone has an opinion…..we’ve called KLM and also looked on the NL government website and its all a bit vague.

I’m a UK citizen due to fly from Suriname (PBM, South America) back to Kyiv on the 29th May. Having purchased a ticket with KLM it now doesn’t seem totally clear whether I would be allowed to board my return flight as the NL appears to ban non-EU citizens from returning from South America. I’ve called KLM and they have said “no problem you should be fine but please call the local embassy”. This isn’t terribly reassuring, nor will they put this into writing for me.

Does anyone else have an opinion on this?

https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad/exemptions-to-the-entry-ban/eu-entry-ban-exemption-categories

[Malachi1]

From the same website you linked to… Did you even read through to the bottom? 🙂

Transit, transfer

You are travelling through the Netherlands to a non-EU country. You must prove that you have a connecting flight to a country outside the Schengen area. The connecting flight must depart within 48 hours of your arrival in Amsterdam. You must not leave the airport’s international transit zone in this period.

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Frederic

[miningguy]

Yes I did read to the bottom, and that is clear. However if you click on the “a ban on passenger flights from India, South Africa and countries in Central and South America” section, what is vague to us is if non-EU nationals are still able to transit if the are arriving from South America.

https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad/dutch-flight-ban-and-docking-ban

[FormerBA]

I don’t you can travel.

The general rule on transit is covered by the following wording which is found using your original link.

https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad/exemptions-to-the-entry-ban/eu-entry-ban-exemption-categories

“You are travelling through the Netherlands to a non-EU country. You must prove that you have a connecting flight to a country outside the Schengen area. The connecting flight must depart within 48 hours of your arrival in Amsterdam. You must not leave the airport’s international transit zone in this period.”

However, the ban on travel from South America is more onerous and the list of exemptions does not include transit to 3rd countries. My reading of this is that the flight ban link supersedes the transit rule. There is also clear direction on the original link page to refer to the flight ban page.

The list of exceptions to the flight ban are also clear and it does not include transit to 3rd countries.

If you were covered by the exception to the flight ban, for example if you are a

“Healthcare workers, people travelling for medical treatment and people carrying out vital work to help combat COVID-19.”

then you would firstly avoid the flght ban, and secondly, would then be allowed to transit.

I’d agree that this is not particularly well worded though.

If you are not covered by the exemptions in the flight ban then it does not matter what is written else where.

The following people are exempted from the flight ban:

Healthcare workers, people travelling for medical treatment and people carrying out vital work to help combat COVID-19.
Seafarers who possess a seaman’s record book if they are travelling in the exercise of their work or travelling to or from their work. The exemption does not apply to seafarers on commercial yachts and pleasure craft.
Staff travelling to and from drilling platforms in Dutch or UK territory.
People who work in the aviation industry who are travelling in the exercise of their work.
People returning to the Netherlands by aircraft, if they are Dutch nationals or residents of the Netherlands. This also applies to nationals and residents of other EU/Schengen countries, but only if they are transiting to another EU/Schengen country and not if the Netherlands is their final destination. The Dutch government will not be arranging repatriation flights.

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miningguy

[miningguy]

Thought I would close the loop on this. A few days before our KLM flight, it was cancelled so we never got to test the theory. Having been out of UK/Europe for > 10 days, I was able to route Kyiv > Doha > JFK > MIA> Suriname. An exhausting trip but we go there. I believe KLM start flying again this week….

[Author]

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