Reader question: Does anyone know when Norway will open the borders for partners to finally get together with their partners?
Since January, Norway has had strict entry restrictions that have left many separated from their loved ones. Norway essentially closed its borders to everyone who isn’t a citizen or resident.
This is regardless of whether you are immune to Covid-19 through vaccination or having had the virus and recovered.
There are some exceptions, which you can see a list of here.
The government currently hasn’t set a date when partners will be permitted to visit again. However, through a combination of Norway's reopening plan, vaccine passports and the easing of entry for certain countries with low infection rates lovers could be back in each others arms this summer.
Entry from "yellow" countries
Under the Norwegian government's Covid traffic light classification those countries that are ranked "yellow" are deemed to have low enough infection rates to allow for safe travel to Norway.
Recently, the government said that entry would reopen for yellow countries, and quarantine hotels would no longer be required for those travelling from countries with low enough infection rates.
READ MORE: Can I enter Norway if I've been vaccinated against Covid-19?
In theory, partners from yellow countries can travel to Norway. Currently, only Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and parts of Finland are listed as yellow countries.
The list of yellow countries is expected to grow in the future, the government has said "the list will change in the future as more countries vaccinate and infections fall."
You can view the list of yellow countries here.
The list will be assessed weekly by both the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) and the Norwegian Directorate of Health.
Furthermore, those arriving from yellow countries are not required to quarantine too, according to the NIPH’s website.
As the list grows in the future, more and more will hopefully be able to reunite with partners in Oslo.
However, only countries, including the UK, the EEA and Schengen area are considered for the yellow list.
Entry for partners and the reopening plan
Previously the government has said it would consider entry for partners as part of step two of its reopening plan.
This, unfortunately, is no longer the case.
Entry for partners will now be considered during step three of Norway’s reopening plan.
“A reassessment of the restrictions on entry will be made in connection with step three of the reopening plan. Then, among other things, further relief will be considered for business travellers, family, partners and international students,” The government said in a statement.
Frustratingly for many waiting to be reunited with their loved ones government hasn’t set any solid dates on when it would go ahead with step three, but step three isn’t expected to go ahead until towards the end of June at the earliest.
Similarly, government hasn't offered any specifics on which countries it would allow entry from, or whether travellers will have to be vaccinated, or enter a quarantine hotel.
Vaccine passports
Vaccine passports may offer an alternative option to reunite couples in Norway.
Norway expects its vaccine passport, or corona certificate, to be ready in June before the EU’s Covid passport scheme is ready.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg has said that the country could allow cross-border travel for vaccinated travellers.
“If Norway has a certificate in place before that, we will consider opening travel to and from the EU before the European certificate is in place,” Solberg said.
This would open the door for those that have been vaccinated to enter Norway to visit their partner.
The government haven’t outlined how this would work in practice, or what kind of proof would be required, or which countries they will work with.
The EU is launching its own vaccine passport which may allow fully vaccinated travellers to travel to Norway.
Norway has been invited to participate in the EU’s vaccine passport scheme, and the country is designing it's own passport within the framework of the EU's vaccine passport.
READ MORE: What's the latest on how the EU's 'Covid passports' will work for travellers?
The EU vaccine passport will prove the holder has either;
- been fully vaccinated
- recently recovered from the virus (meaning the holder has antibodies in their system)
- recently tested negative for Covid
Travellers would need to have received an EU approved vaccine. The vaccines currently approved are Pfizer/Biotech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
Both passports can be presented as a QR code accessible with a smart phone app.
The EU vaccine passport will also be available as a paper document.
The EU has said the scheme is on track to be ready by the end of June.
But it says: “The political agreement will now have to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. The regulation will enter into force on July 1st, with a phasing-in period of six weeks for the issuance of certificates for those Member States that need additional time.”
A six-week phasing in period would mean the scheme would be fully operational by mid-August.
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