EU adds Indonesia to free travel list

BRUSSELS

The European Union on Thursday added Indonesia to its list allowing non-essential travel to the bloc as it revised its COVID-related border restrictions, the Council of the EU announced.

Under the new rules valid as of Thursday, residents from Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Namibia, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, and Uruguay can enter the EU for non-essential trips.

The same applies to Chinese citizens, in case Beijing grants the same rights to EU citizens.

The travel list allows access to 27 EU states and non-EU members of the Schengen zone -- Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

But the decision can only be considered as a recommendation for EU governments that can allow visitors from other countries if they are fully vaccinated, as well as restrict the entry of those on the list.

The travel list is updated every two weeks.

The bloc imposed travel restrictions last March to stem the spread of COVID-19.