This week, the European Union added Jordan to its list of countries that it recommends lifting travel restrictions for. But what many people didn’t realize is the EU council’s recommendation is not legally-binding, meaning that while EU states are now encouraged to lift restrictions, they are not obligated to, and many countries in Europe have yet to actually allow travelers from Jordan into their borders. Here are the three important things you need to know about traveling to Europe this summer.

Closures

The EU council recommendation was a big step, because without it countries wouldnt have any pathway to lift restrictions, but as it is not legally binding, it's also not a huge step forward. This is illustrated in the fact that every country has a different policy. In Greece, travelers from Jordan, vaccinated or not, are welcome for tourism, provided that non-vaccinated travelers have a negative PCR test. But across the sea to Italy, such is not the case, and only Jordanian travelers equipt with a compelling reason- such as work or study- are able to enter. It doesn't matter if you’re vaccinated or can present a negative PCR test. But in a third scenario, over in France, only vaccinated travelers are allowed in for tourism, while non-vaccinated travelers would need a compelling reason to travel, and would be subject to quarantine procedures. Of course, these rules change on a daily basis, so before booking your tickets, make sure to check the respective government website so you don’t face any issues traveling.

Vaccines

When traveling to Europe, you must not only be mindful of your vaccine status, but with which vaccine you’ve been vaccinated with. While the World Health Organization provides recommendations for which vaccines countries should approve or recognize, WHO member states are-again- not legally obligated to recognize recommended vaccines, meaning that a vaccine that is approved here in Jordan is not necessarily approved in other parts of the world. For example, Jordan has approved the Sputnik and Sinopharm vaccines but the European Medicines Agency, the EU’s regulatory body, has not. Now, EU countries are allowed to make their own decisions, and, for example, Greece is recognizing Sinopharm, and Hungary and Slovakia are recognizing Sputnik. But as is the case with general restrictions, you should check if your vaccine is recognized in the country you’re planning to visit before making any plans.

Deteriorating health situation

The third factor you’re going to want to consider before jetting off to the French Riviera is the health situation in Europe. Despite countries opening their doors this summer and aggressive vaccine campaigns, the pandemic is wreaking havoc in many regions. In fact, just this week, the World Health Organization said that there was a reverse in Europe’s ten-week decline in coronavirus cases, and, for the first time since April, cases are once again on the rise. This change in trend is attributed mostly to the new, more contagious Delta variant, which experts say could soon account for 90 percent of cases in the continent.