The Republic of Slovenia has ended ALL COVID-related entry requirements as of this week. The country’s RVT system, which stands for recovered/vaccinated/tested, has been repealed and now all travelers may enter Slovenia without restriction. The quarantine requirement for travelers has also been dropped. Slovenia officially is now the fourth country in the world to end all entry requirements.
The official tourism board of Slovenia now reads “The door to Slovenia is wide open for tourists and other visitors,” which is a welcome sign for 2022.Proof of vaccination to access internal services has also been discontinued
Slovenia’s RVT system (recovered/vaccinated/tested) for entering indoor public spaces has also been scrapped. This means travelers and locals alike will no longer need to show proof of vaccination, proof of recent recovery, or proof of a recent negative test to enter things like: museums, galleries, resorts, shops, restaurants, public transit, and other activities.
The only internal rules still in place are:
- Showing RVT to access prisons or healthcare institutions
- Face masks on public transit and indoor public spaces
Slovenia reported 3,731 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, down from 3,818 a day before and well below the all-time high of 24,230 daily infections registered on February first, the height of the Omicron wave, according to the National Institute of Public Health.
Seeing this Omicron wave come to an end, we can be hopeful that more internal will be lifted in the near future.
Why Visit Slovenia?
From the picturesque Lake Bled to the bustling streets of Ljubljana, Slovenia is a wonderful place to visit. Its positioning between Italy, Austria, Croatia, and Hungary, also makes it an easy stopover on a European road trip!
It will be interesting to see if Slovenia’s neighbors follow the countries lead. Croatia currently requires proof of vaccination, a negative covid test, or proof of recovery, to enter. Italy has very strict vaccination passport rules in place nationwide. Austria also has very strict vaccination rules in place. And Hungary has been incredibly closed off throughout the entire pandemic.
Slovenia now joins a growing list of countries scrapping all COVID entry requirements.
Here’s a look at some of the other Countries that have lifted their entry requirements.
Norway has removed all of its COVID-related entry requirements, and all of the internal restrictions related to COVID-19. The country has largely returned to our pre-pandemic version of normal. Norway is famous for its northern lights displays, stunning lakes, and glacial fjords. The country is the perfect place for an outdoor adventure!
Mexico removed all of its entry requirements as of January 1st. Mexico was the world’s most popular tourist destination throughout the pandemic, because of its ease of entry and tropical weather. Mexico does still have some internal restrictions imposed by individual states, but mostly just include mask mandates and/or occupancy limits. The states are divided into a four-tier color-coded system.
- Red Tier – The highest COVID-19 risk and only essential activities are allowed
- Orange Tier – High-risk tier, with more stringent limitations on social and commercial activities
- Yellow Tier – Lower risk tier, with a moderate level of restrictions
- Green Tier – Very low-risk tier, where people can resume their everyday activities
El Salvador currently has no entry restrictions for travelers. The country has become a hub for digital nomads over the past year. We even called it the trendiest travel destination in 2022! Once inside El Salvador, there are very few covid-related restrictions, however, masks are still required in most indoor spaces.
Last week, Switzerland almost beat Slovenia for the 4th place title, but internal government conflict left the Swiss nation off the list. The federal department of home affairs and the federal office of public health officially dropped all border entry requirements, including the need for any traveler from any country to show proof of a test or vaccine to enter. However, the Swiss border and migration police said in a separate statement they will be keeping all entry requirements on third-party travelers intact for now.
The list of completely open countries is expanding
With the passing of the Omicron wave, it seems like international travel will be making a comeback this year. Stay tuned to our countries without entry requirements or restrictions article as well as our countries that have removed all internal restrictions and countries that unvaccinated travelers can visit.
