Faroes to welcome tourists from the rest of Europe

On 27 June, Denmark will be opening its borders to travellers from all European nations except Sweden and Portugal, which are not yet deemed to have sufficiently low COVID-19 infection rates.

As part of the Danish Kingdom, the Faroe Islands are required to follow these changes by opening its borders in the same way, says Prime Minister Bárður á Steig Nielsen.

“Next Saturday, on 27 June, we will open our borders to all but two European countries, and we will introduce a new testing strategy in which all incoming travellers, including Faroese residents, will be tested,” he said.

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When asked if this is a safe move, the Prime Minister said: “It is not realistic to think that we will avoid new COVID-19 cases entirely, but we will intensify our testing efforts in line with the increased risk, so in that sense we believe it is safe.”

The overall policy is that the borders open to countries with fewer than 20 coronavirus infections per 100,000 citizens per week. The two countries not included on the ‘safe list’, Sweden and Portugal, currently have 75.5 and 20.2 cases per 100,000 citizens, respectively.

“If a country exceeds this figure, we have the option of blocking entry for travellers from these countries,” he said.

From 27 June to 10 July, tests at entry points to the Faroes will be free of charge. After 11 July, travellers will have to pay for being tested. Children aged 12 and below will not be required to be tested. 

Translated by prosa.fo