· The European Union (EU) has officially listed Rwanda among its list of 15 Covid19 ‘Safe Countries’.
· The EU commission examined a tentative draft list of 54 countries before coming to this shortlist and made the final announcement in Brussels this week.
The European Union (EU) has officially listed Rwanda among its list of 15 Covid19 ‘Safe Countries’. The inclusion by EU will allow Rwandans to enter the EU from July 1. As of now, Rwanda’s Covid-19 cases remain relatively lower compared to the rest of the continent. However, for non-Schengen citizens or without a current multiple-entry visa, will have to wait until at least August 1 when the VFS Schengen visa center in Kigali is expected to be reopened.
The EU commission examined a tentative draft list of 54 countries before coming to this shortlist and made the final announcement in Brussels this week.
The other countries in the “safe list”, whose nationals will be allowed to enter Europe are Algeria, Australia, Canada, China*, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia and Uruguay. The “safe list” will be reviewed every two weeks and adjusted as per the prevailing coronavirus developments in each country.
The Commission also recommended that from July 1, the Member States should start permitting third-country nationals to enter the EU if the COVID-19 situation permits such a step.
