Support thread for those with family abroad

[Schulte]

Anyone interested in a support thread for those of us who have family abroad, and don't know if we can see them this year? I had started to feel all positive and optimistic about going back to my home country this summer to see my parents, but it's now looking far from certain and I'm feeling increasingly depressed.

I thought maybe we can cheer each other up and share the latest on border openings, how and where to get tests for travel, etc.

Anyone?

Thank you Quim Reaper. No, that was a surprise to me as Spain was really easy to enter and the staff at the airport were really welcoming. All you needed was to fill in a form online to say you were in good health and where you were staying. You are directed to this from the airline website. I went Ryanair. I had printed off my Covid vaccination certificate but no one looked at it. Also no temperature checks at either airport and I got insurance easy which was another pleasant surprise. The Insurance company said 'essential travel' is a debatable term and some people think a holiday is essential. I wanted to write my post in case it encourages anyone to go for it if they had been worried. I am so risk averse I am amazed I took the plunge! Hope you get to see your family soon too :-).

Oh, no. I have checked the KLM website, as I still would like DH to come with us. (UK citizen) I wish I hadn't.
As the UK is deemed unsafe for Covid purposes, UK citizens need proof of permission to enter the Schengen-zone. www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/visiting-the-netherlands-from-abroad/checklist-transit-or-short-stay But I thought family members are allowed to enter 🤔 Is it proof enough if he shows his passport (same surname) and we give him a group-hug?

Thanks so much @Geneswoman, very reassuring!

@EasterIssland That was what I'd assumed but I suddenly wondered if airlines might have their own policies for boarding the planes, to protect their staff or whatever. Although I'm sure they'd make that clear at the point of booking!

@QuimReaper

Thanks so much *@Geneswoman*, very reassuring!

@EasterIssland That was what I'd assumed but I suddenly wondered if airlines might have their own policies for boarding the planes, to protect their staff or whatever. Although I'm sure they'd make that clear at the point of booking!

yeah tap for example is doing it , but afaik ryanair/easyjet and a few more aren't.

@YoutubeZoom I believe spouses and children of EU citizens are allowed to travel with them. But that my differ from country to country? I'm planning to take our marriage certificate just in case... IF DH decides to come along.

Yes, that's the issue isn't it. Different airlines doing different things but Ryanair was good. I've never anti bac cleaned my seat, arms, tray table before but I didn't care, I left my area cleaner than I found it probably......Currently in isolation which is a bit boring but worth every minute and penny obviously :-).

No offence to Ryanair re the cleaning.....I was just so grateful to them for flying and taking me where I wanted to go :-) :-).

Thank you @ZZTopGuitarSolo that is super helpful. I also didn't know there were state by state apps. I will look into this!

In late July, I am meant to be travelling from a red list country (which is currently open to all those football fans by the way...) to France (which I am not a citizen of) with my children (who are citizens of France) via Netherlands. By the look of it, I won't be even able to change the planes there - even being fully vaccinated and with all the required tests.
Why does KLM sell tickets for flights that are clearly not suitable? WTF??

@WolfMother326 The EU are already in talks to integrate the covid certificate system with US and UK systems so it all works seamlessly, although that won't help I imagine in states which don't have a system in place to integrate with. It probably won't be any time soon though as I imagine it's a big undertaking!

@LivinLaVidaLoki I think Schulte is right that it's just that the Spanish islands are a more popular destination so they get more media airtime, but Simon Calder (my guru!) Tweeted just this morning that 'Corfu, Kefalonia, Lesbos, Santorini, Zakynthos are Greek candidates' to go green, so hopefully they're not forgotten! It's really frustrating that the UK gov are now bleating that if there's an outbreak on one of those islands the local healthcare services might not be able to cope with tourists. Well for fuck's sake let the local governments and travellers make that risk assessment for themselves! By all means publicise the risk so people are aware of it, but what really does it have to do with them?!

Isn't it about having spent time in the UK rather than being UK passport holder? In terms of having been potentially exposed to the variant?

Sorry that was to

@YoutubeZoom

@Grellbunt Sorry, what are you referring to?

Sorry - about the NL entry requirements

Ah, x-posts!

I think Grell is right @YoutubeZoom, it's 'if travelling from', not 'if a citizen of'; I couldn't see any exemptions for NL citizens in that list.

I thought it was Hungary you were hoping to visit though?

There are carveouts for transit through nl and stopovers in airports tho which are v helpful

We have to transfer at Schiphol to travel to Budapest. No direct flights from where we live.

My problem is proving that DH has a permission to enter Hungary.
The Netherlands Government website says:
"You are travellingto an EU country/Schengen area country via theNetherlands. You must be able to show you have permission to enter the EU country/Schengen country in question. You can do this with a note verbale from that country’s embassy, for example, or another type of document that proves you can travel there. If you do not have such a document, the Dutch border authorities will determine whether you may travel via theNetherlands. Without a document showing you have permission to enter the EU country/Schengen country in question, you are advised to fly there directly and not via theNetherlands."
DS and I are EU citizens, so we can enter, but DH is a UK citizen. I hope they would accept our explanation that DH is a family member, which Hungary accepts as a legitimate reason to enter. But then it gets complicated and Dutch border control might not want to check every single member states' current rules for every single passenger...
Sorry, I am panicking.

[quote QuimReaper]@WolfMother326 The EU are already in talks to integrate the covid certificate system with US and UK systems so it all works seamlessly, although that won't help I imagine in states which don't have a system in place to integrate with. It probably won't be any time soon though as I imagine it's a big undertaking!

@LivinLaVidaLoki I think Schulte is right that it's just that the Spanish islands are a more popular destination so they get more media airtime, but Simon Calder (my guru!) Tweeted just this morning that 'Corfu, Kefalonia, Lesbos, Santorini, Zakynthos are Greek candidates' to go green, so hopefully they're not forgotten! It's really frustrating that the UK gov are now bleating that if there's an outbreak on one of those islands the local healthcare services might not be able to cope with tourists. Well for fuck's sake let the local governments and travellers make that risk assessment for themselves! By all means publicise the risk so people are aware of it, but what really does it have to do with them?![/quote]
@QuimReaper thats a relief.

Though it does show breathtaking misunderstanding of the Greek healthcare system (4th best in Europe I think). For instance, some smaller islands may only have small hospitals but care can be moved around to neighbouring islands. For instance Kalymnos sent their covid (non ICU) patients to Kos as its only 15ish mins by boat and they have more capacity. Non urgent care has also been shuffled around and clinics have been expanded to help with this.

Most of my family are on Crete or on the mainland (not getting there this year) but I do have family and friends on Kos, who havent had a covid case in over a month and have about 60% of the island fully vaccinated. So itll be a damned shame if they arent included.

Don't panic Youtube! I know how easy it is to do, but every single on-the-ground report I've heard has said the actual enforcement of these restrictions has been far more relaxed than the phrasing suggests. If Hungary accepts your husband being your family member as a legitimate reason, then the Dutch border controls will know that, and as you have the same surname, there's no reason to worry. I'd be carrying my marriage certificate as backup too, but I really think you'll be absolutely fine, especially as you're only transiting, which as Grell points out they have explicit caveats for. Would it be worth phoning the Hungarian embassy or similar just for confirmation?

@LivinLaVidaLoki Absolutely, it's a stupid excuse even if it were true and its simply not. I'm delighted the travel industry have found their fangs and are applying pressure on the gov - any more mealy-mouthed non-excuses for not green-lighting countries that should be allowed under their own rules and I think they might actually burn down Grant Shapps' office. Every day this week the travel industry has been on the front of the BBC news page; I really do think they're under immense pressure and won't be able to get away with another 'we're not green listing Malta / Kos / Ibiza because mimblewimblehumph, oh look, a bird...'

I would take marriage certificate / kids' birth certs showing he is their dad and a printout of relevant Hungarian rules from sufficiently official-looking sources to flash at the Dutch guards.

Thank you for talking me down Quim.

If the rules do not change I will have to get in touch with the Hungarian authorities anyway to request DH to be exempt from restrictions to attend a family event. That may allow him to stay in a hotel.

It is hard. DH & I both have parents in Australia we haven't seen since 2019. His Dad is 92 this year. Australia worries me as their cases are so low, & they seem quite happy being isolated, there is no urgency to their vaccination programme.

I've only just discovered that we can travel to Denmark without quarantining as fully vaccinated people and have been able to since the 5th June.