Update on COVID-19, week 53: Operations Department Announcements

Week 53

Negative test results for all arriving and transferring passengers

As of Tuesday, December 29th 2020 at 0:01 CET, all passengers (including Dutch citizens and transferring passengers) must show a negative test declaration Covid-19 and negative PCR-test result before boarding an aircraft scheduled to fly to The Netherlands. Airlines are to verify that passengers meet the requirements:

Completed the mandatory negative test declaration
Negative PCR (a molecular PCR test and must be for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19)
Completed the mandatory health declaration

If a passenger cannot show the negative test declaration form then the passenger may not board the aircraft.

Exceptions to the requirement to present a negative test result

The following people do not need a negative test result:

Children under 13;
People arriving from countries on the EU list of safe countries;
Cross-border commuters (including students and school children);
Holders of a diplomatic identity card issued by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
Holders of non-Dutch diplomatic passports;
Holders of Dutch diplomatic passports, if they are travelling as part of their job, in order to perform their job or after performing their job;
Heads of state and members of foreign governments;
Individuals who work in the goods transport sector, and other transportation personnel in so far as necessary. This includes lorry drivers and individuals who work on container ships, bulk carriers (e.g. of ore and coal), tankers (fuel and chemicals) and fishing vessels. It also includes individuals who work in the energy sector, including oil and gas platforms and offshore wind farms, offshore companies that provide services to this sector, and air, cruise-ship and ferry crew members if they are travelling in order to perform their job;
Seafarers who possess a seaman’s record book if they are travelling as part of their job, in order to perform work or after performing work. This exemption does not apply to seafarers on commercial yachts and pleasure craft;
Passengers on flights which do not have a Dutch airport as their destination, but are diverted to a Dutch airport due to unforeseen circumstances.
Passengers with a NATO Travel Order or a NATO-2 visum.
People arriving from Iceland;

Please note that passengers transferring at Schiphol must be able to show negative (PCR)test results.

Municipal Health Services (GGD) at the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee will be checking passengers upon arrival. Either when disembarking the aircraft or at the border control filter.

Passengers arriving in The Netherlands without valid negative test results and the mandatory form may be denied entry to the Netherlands and will have to depart again (on the same airline to the country of departure). Airlines carrying passengers without valid negative test results and the accompanying form may be subject to a fine.

Government website with more information

The Dutch government has created a website with more information about the this new rule that is mandatory from Tuesday, the 29th of December 2020 at 0:01 CET. Fact sheets in multiple languages can be found here.

Health declaration