The European Commission continues to pressure Belgian authorities to end the non-essential travel ban currently effective in Belgium, which is set to expire only on April 18, 2021.

The restrictions were previously announced to be effective until April 1, but in a Consultative Committee meeting held on March 19, the authorities approved the prolongation of the ban until April 18 if the agreement for mandatory testing and self-isolation of travelers is approved.

The Consultative Committee first decided to ban non-essential travel to and from Belgium on January 22. The ban was set to expire on March 1, 2021, but it was extended due to concerns that arose amid the spread of the new COVID-19 mutations throughout Europe and further in the world.

The European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, in a conversation with the Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden, emphasized that the Belgian authorities should respect the policies of people's free movement in the EU.

“The Commission expects an end date for the ban on non-essential travel and other less restrictive measures, such as testing and quarantines,” European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders added.

The Interior Minister also announced that the Commission’s proposal for a Digital Green Certificate and the importance for entry into force of the agreement upon cooperation on testing and self-isolation was also discussed during the meeting, StudyinPoland.Info reports.

According to the Belgian government, only essential travel will be permitted until the restrictions are eased. The following necessary reasons for trips are exempt from the ban:

• Family reunification: including travel for co-parenting reasons, visits to a spouse or partner, civil and religious marriages, funerals, or cremations of close relatives.
• Humanitarian reasons: including travel for medical purposes of the continuation of treatment, assistance to elders, minors, disabled or vulnerable persons.
• Study reasons: travel by students and trainees as part of an exchange program, researchers that have a hosting agreement.
• Residents of border areas who travel for everyday activities purposes or work-related activities, with permission by the country.
• Miscellaneous: animal care, travel for legal obligations, urgent repairs.

The government also pointed out that all persons traveling to Belgium must submit a “sworn statement”, which can be found on the Ministry of Interior’s website, coupled with the Passenger Locator Form and other necessary documents.

Earlier in March, Belgium received a letter from the European Commission stating that the country can protect the health of the public even if they ease the restrictions rather than imposing a total ban.

However, the Belgian authorities emphasized that the current ban “is a pillar of a broader policy that, in addition to the testing and quarantine policy, also concerns internal measures and must be weighed against this”.

According to Belgium’s current measures, all persons entering Belgium from a red list country must stay self-isolated, and they can only be dismissed after submitting a negative PCR test done on the seventh day of self-isolation.