Anyone traveling to the Netherlands from abroad by train, bus, boat or plane must be able to show a negative corona test statement. The cabinet had already announced the measure last week to limit the risk of contamination and spread of the corona virus as much as possible. The measure took effect last night at 00.01.
The PCR test must be taken no more than 72 hours before arrival in the Netherlands and applies to everyone who comes from a ‘high-risk area’. Only for a small group of countries with a low risk of the coronavirus, such as Iceland, Australia, China, South Korea and the islands within the Kingdom of the Netherlands except Curaçao, the obligation does not apply.
Carriers responsible
Transport companies are primarily responsible for enforcement. For example, air passengers must be checked for the PCR test before boarding. Anyone who cannot show a negative test result is not allowed on board. The security regions check randomly at the airports whether people have been checked.
For buses, the carrier must check upon boarding. In trains, the check is performed when the tickets are also checked. If a carrier does not comply with these regulations, a fine can be imposed.
If you board the train or bus and cannot show a negative test result, you must leave the vehicle at the first stop in the Netherlands after the border crossing. No fine is imposed on the traveler, reports the national government.
If someone has been delayed in the trip through no fault of his or her own, a new PCR test is in many cases not necessary. If someone can prove that he is not to blame for the delay, the test may be one day older: 96 hours instead of 72 hours.
Exceptions
There are also exceptions to the obligation. For example, passengers of regional public transport crossing the border do not have to show a negative test result. This only applies to travel in an area within 30 kilometers of the border with the Netherlands. The obligation also does not apply to private bus transport, such as coaches. Anyone traveling to the Netherlands with their own car from abroad does not need to show a test result.
Furthermore, the obligation does not apply to people under the age of 13, people who work or go to school across borders, holders of diplomatic passports, heads of state, members of a foreign government and representatives of NATO.
Also, no negative test result is required for people who work in the transport sector, such as truck drivers, container ship employees and fisheries. Nor does the obligation apply to people working in the energy sector.
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