shape
carat
color
clarity

What country do you live in and can you leave your country easily??

mellowyellowgirl

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 17, 2014
Messages
6,173
Australian media has been reporting a lot about our closed borders recently. We are not expected to open up for years.

I'm super curious as to whether other countries borders are still open.

Can you fly in and out of your country easily or are you all subject to hotel quarantine?

Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with the way things are here, they've done a great job and we live really normal lives with the exception of not being able to leave the country.

I'm just curious as to whether borders are shut anywhere else or is it come and go as you please?
 

foxinsox

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 18, 2015
Messages
4,061
NZ borders are mostly closed. We’ve got quarantine-free travel with Australia and (soon) the Cook Islands.
Inbound travel outside of those countries is generally restricted to citizens returning home or essential workers.
Outbound travel doesn’t appear to be restricted other than whether there are flights available and whether the traveller can actually enter the country they’re trying to get to.
I don’t think we will see easy travel any time before next year.
 

ForteKitty

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Oct 7, 2004
Messages
5,239
The U.S. is open but everywhere I want to visit is closed/subject to a long quarantine, so not like I can go anywhere. I feel terrible for my cousin. Her fiance lives in Australia and she hasn't seen him since late 2019. He was supposed to visit April 2020 and we all know how that went lol.
 

Austina

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Feb 24, 2017
Messages
7,554
UK, and there are only 12 countries on the Green travel list, which means we can go there without having to quarantine when we get back.
 

GliderPoss

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Sep 25, 2008
Messages
2,936
Another Aussie here, I think we can leave (depending on destination) :think: it’s the two weeks of hotel quarantine on return at my own expense that stops me from considering international travel!:snooty:
(NZ aside obviously as long as the bubble holds)
 

dk168

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
12,492
UK dithered about closing our borders, especially when we were still part of the EU.

The latest clusters of the Indian variant in UK were all linked to travel allegedly. We could have banned flights from India a lot sooner IMHO.

Travel restrictions still apply with the need to quarantine and have PCR tests at one's own cost. The list of "green" countries where one can go without quarantine is very short.

I have not kept up to date with the exact details of travel restrictions as I have not planned to travel outside of UK until yesterday when I booked a return flight to Canada to visit my folks in November 2021.

I am happy to stay in UK under the current circumstances, and if necessary, I shall pay my own way to travel to Canada if required, for duty calls and not for holidays.

I would travel for work later in the year, however, I would not consider travelling for pleasure in 2021.

DK :))
 

MjK1

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Jan 29, 2021
Messages
391
I haven't been home to Nova Scotia Canada for five years. NS is locked down tight as third wave hits. My mom is 97...I don't know if I will see her again.
 

missy

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
Messages
53,978
USA here. As far as I know yes we can. No restrictions on leaving but restrictions exist on entering other countries so not sure where we would go.

I am sorry for all of you separated from your loved ones. My heart goes out to each and everyone of you who are missing their family. Especially our elderly parents. Hoping soon it is safe for everyone to visit their loved ones.

Right now though, IMO, there is no place like home.

noplacelikehome.jpeg
 

MaisOuiMadame

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 9, 2015
Messages
3,451
In the EU one can travel freely but needs a negative PCR test for entering most countries afaik...

I'm mit going nähere, personally, but since there are a lot of cross border workers in all EU countries, closing inside EU borders is next to impossible.

Travel to /from India and and other places with high incidence/variants is banned, though, except to repatriate citizens
 

Lookinagain

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 15, 2014
Messages
4,411
I'm in the US in Massachusetts. There is currently a travel "advisory" (it was previously an Order). If you are fully vaccinated you can return to the state without any restrictions. If you are not vaccinated, they want you to get a negative test either before or after travel . If not vaccinated, or you don't get a negative test, they want you to self quarantine for 10 days.
I'm not ready to hop on an airplane at this point and when I travel I leave the country and there aren't too many places that I want to go that will let me in!
 

Snowdrop13

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
2,960
I’m in the U.K. too, I find the Green List quite hilarious, really not sure how much travel there is likely to be to the Faroe Islands or the Falklands! Not easy to get to, anyway. There is going to be a mass exodus to Portugal over the summer, I fear.
 

Ally T

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
8,507
I’m in the U.K. too, I find the Green List quite hilarious, really not sure how much travel there is likely to be to the Faroe Islands or the Falklands! Not easy to get to, anyway. There is going to be a mass exodus to Portugal over the summer, I fear.

Australia & NZ are also on the Green List, but their borders are closed. I think they just popped them on there to make the list a bit longer :lol:
 

nala

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Messages
7,045
US and I know that Mexico for sure is open and never closed to us bc I know people who went in the middle of the pandemic.
 

PinkAndBlueBling

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
1,640
US - No one really wants us, but can't blame them. We have a trip planned to Aruba later this summer. Have to be tested to come back home! Hopefully, people will continue to get vaccinated and we'll finally have a better grip on this, requiring less testing to travel. We were gong to go to Hawaii (rescheduling a 2020 trip) but airfare has tripled since we bought our tickets so our airline credit is a mere pittance, plus they require testing and the costs kept piling up so we ditched that. We have credits all over the place from last year from three big trips we planned. :wall:
 

MaisOuiMadame

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 9, 2015
Messages
3,451
Just wanted to add that PCR tests are free in some countries (France) or expensive (parts of Germany or Spain depending on location 140- 180€ /person).
For a family of 8 a trip to Spain from Germany and back home will set them back an additional 1280 € (1555$) for tests. I think it's meant to discourage people from unnecessary travel. Hope it works.
 

mellowyellowgirl

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 17, 2014
Messages
6,173
Australia & NZ are also on the Green List, but their borders are closed. I think they just popped them on there to make the list a bit longer :lol:

Hehe good luck getting into Australia!!! That's hilarious! If you can get into Australia you deserve all the accolades!

If there's one thing we excel at, it's closing borders!

We couldn't even move interstate for most of last year!
 

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
33,220
I'm in America and am clueless about travel restrictions because I don't travel beyond where I can drive in an hour.

That said, I strongly support maximum restrictions, as long as possible and necessary during a pandemic like this because this bug travels via exhaled air.
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,496
Hehe good luck getting into Australia!!! That's hilarious! If you can get into Australia you deserve all the accolades!

If there's one thing we excel at, it's closing borders!

We couldn't even move interstate for most of last year!

I know
Like we are on the UK ok list but inless you are a citizens/ perminante resident or a dependant of one good luck getting in
And we do miss our international visitors and we look forward to their return
But we have to keep our own people safe first
That travel bubble we have with you has my heart in my mouth
They say its super low risk but there has been a community transmission case in Melbourne again.
Imangine if we took covid to the cook islands - they have a health system that would never cope
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,496
US - No one really wants us, but can't blame them. We have a trip planned to Aruba later this summer. Have to be tested to come back home! Hopefully, people will continue to get vaccinated and we'll finally have a better grip on this, requiring less testing to travel. We were gong to go to Hawaii (rescheduling a 2020 trip) but airfare has tripled since we bought our tickets so our airline credit is a mere pittance, plus they require testing and the costs kept piling up so we ditched that. We have credits all over the place from last year from three big trips we planned. :wall:

Its a sad time in the world
I love Americans and we miss you (not just for your $$ but because you make happy and freindly visitors)
The world will welcome you back again when its safe
 

qubitasaurus

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 18, 2014
Messages
1,653
We also have closed borders in Singapore, we have a green list who can come in but the list is something like China, Australia, New Zealand, Brunei and Taiwan. Most of these will not let their citizens out, and won't let anyone else in either.

We have a young child, who is currently ineligible for vaccination so I can not see us going anywhere till that changes. This is possibly the bigger problem as I think there will be travel corridors long before we manage to get her vaccinated.
 

maryjane04

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 21, 2013
Messages
1,529
Aussie here. So we have doctors who have left the country to go back home due to bereavement reasons.

Upon return though our workplace has implemented an additional week in quarantine. So it used to be 2 weeks and is now 3 before they can return to work.
 

Elizabeth35

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 24, 2011
Messages
754
I am in US and there are lots of places I can visit. I do have to get a test prior to US re-entry.
We can visit Mexico, lots of Caribbean locations, and places like Iceland, French Polynesia, Maldives.
Canada is still a closed border.
So we are starting to travel, cautiously. And we are both fully vaccinated.
 

Bron357

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 22, 2014
Messages
6,532
Yes, here in Australia we have limited the number of arrivals because all have to go into two weeks mandatory isolation. You can only leave Australia (as an Australian resident) if you have a travel exemption but coming back will be a problem due to restricted flight numbers and restricted passenger numbers. Many Australians overseas have already been waiting and trying for months to get a seat on a flight back home. Australia is restricting arrivals to Australian citizens and residents or special exemptions only. No random international holiday makers
You have to first have a negative Covid test be allowed onto a flight. and currently no one from India or having been in India (last 14 days) can return to Australia.
Even within Australia our State borders open and close to interstate movements at a moments notice. Last year my Brothers children couldn’t come to Sydney from Brisbane to see him unless they did 14 days quarantine upon going home to Brisbane (thats NSW to QLD). My sister who lives in France hasn’t seen my Father since 2018. He is terminally ill so it’s very difficult for her. Her planned visit in May 2020 was cancelled and seeing as its likely to be 2022 before she can visit, it will be too late for her to see Dad again.
Very sad.
Lots of people are sadly separated from family and friends and unable to attend important events like marriages and funerals.
 

mellowyellowgirl

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 17, 2014
Messages
6,173
Since we're talking borders this was an interesting article.


I will admit I'm probably addicted to zero as well. The way our nation operates, you are seen as the black sheep, the failure, disease ridden state if you so much as record ONE community transmission case. It seems to be the mental state that most of us are in.

I quite enjoy my self serve buffets and roaming around maskless (legally) so this obsession with zero is going to be hard for us to kick.
 

chemgirl

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 16, 2009
Messages
2,345
In Canada and we have hotel quarantine until there is a negative test and then additional home quarantine. It’s working as a deterrent to travel for my social circle, but I kind of question how effective it really is in preventing spread from people who have travelled.

I just received an email from the Berlin Marathon asking me to consent to submitting medical data such as a vaccination record before running in September. I think a lot of countries will have some level of regulation for the foreseeable future.
 

arkieb1

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 11, 2012
Messages
9,786
Hehe good luck getting into Australia!!! That's hilarious! If you can get into Australia you deserve all the accolades!

If there's one thing we excel at, it's closing borders!

We couldn't even move interstate for most of last year!

Another Aussie, I just returned from seeing my grandmother (she turned 99 I went to her birthday) and my parents who I had not seen for 2+ years because of the state lockdowns last year.

Living in Queensland last year we spent most of the time with our borders closed and if I went to NSW or Victoria it meant if I returned a possible 2 weeks in hotel quarantine not selected by me and a bill of around $2500+ at the end of it. That happened to a friend of mine.

Thankfully I was able to travel this year (I flew to remote regional NSW where there are no COVID cases) without having to quarantine when I got back.

As far as I'm aware many of our own citizens cannot get back here if they live overseas let alone travellers, unless it is a country in a "travel bubble" our borders will probably remain closed for a year to a few years.
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,496
The scary thing with the NZ Australia travel bubble is if one or the other has a run on community transmission you could end up on the wrong side of a lock down
i don't know but i bet you can't get travel insurence for that
it might be ok to extend a stay with mum and dad but a family holiday on the gold coast could get very exspensive very quickly
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,496
Since we're talking borders this was an interesting article.


I will admit I'm probably addicted to zero as well. The way our nation operates, you are seen as the black sheep, the failure, disease ridden state if you so much as record ONE community transmission case. It seems to be the mental state that most of us are in.

I quite enjoy my self serve buffets and roaming around maskless (legally) so this obsession with zero is going to be hard for us to kick.

Im with zero too
yes its sad for immigrants with family overseas but my mother in law came here in the early 1960s and never ever went back to England to visit because they couldn't afford such a huge trip
Im.sure she missed them and phone calls were outrageously exspensive too so she wrote letters

this generation has been spoilt by cheap travel
suck it up !

My grandad faught in ww2 and didn't see my grandma or his kids for a couple of years
My grandma didn't know if he would ever come home

we have to keep our own community/ country safe first !

Look at all the cases than come home from just our own citizens returning home

We have had low death tellies compaired to most countries on earth
We need to do everything we can to keep our own people, our permanent residents and their dependent and any migrant workers plus any visitors who are hunkered down with us safe and covid free

Keep covid out until we get all our people vaccinated (some thing both our countries seem to be doing very slowly)

As ive said before the only people we can trully trust are the people we actually live with
 

qubitasaurus

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Dec 18, 2014
Messages
1,653
The scary thing with the NZ Australia travel bubble is if one or the other has a run on community transmission you could end up on the wrong side of a lock down
i don't know but i bet you can't get travel insurence for that
it might be ok to extend a stay with mum and dad but a family holiday on the gold coast could get very exspensive very quickly

There is an exclusion clause in all travel insurance against major pandemics. The moment the world health organisation declared covid a pandemic the travel insurers stopped paying for anything covid related (in my personal experience it was backdated too, even if you'd incurred the losses before covid was declared a pandemic it didn't matter). I think this happened in March last year so definitely not covered now :lol-2: .

You can buy special covid insurance against certain circumstances -- like getting covid while in hotel quarantine. But you'd have to buy this additional insurance.
 
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top