Travel between the UK and Belgium via the Eurostar is possible again from Wednesday, Eurostar announced on Tuesday.
New rules, in force until 31 December, apply for travel from the UK to Belgium. Travel is restricted to Belgian citizens and residents and a limited number of strictly necessary travels which cannot be postponed.
Travellers should carry as much proof as possible that they fit into those categories, according to the Embassy of Belgium in the UK, and there will be strict controls on the Passenger Locator Form (PLF).
As of 25 December, non-residents will have to present a negative PCR test taken “at the earliest 48 hours prior to arrival.”
Eurostar added that “it is not permitted to travel to Brussels in order to make a connection to travel to Brussels in order to make a connection to travel onwards to the Netherlands, Germany or any other destination outside Belgium.
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Belgium was one of the first countries to ban passenger travel from the UK, shutting down not only the Eurostar but also flights, following the discovery of a new strain of coronavirus in the UK which, while there are no indications of it making people sicker or being more deadly, is thought to be more infectious.
France and the Netherlands had banned travel for the same reasons, but the Eurostar will also serve the French cities of Paris and Lille again, as well as the Netherlands (though only essential travel is allowed to the Netherlands). Both countries also require negative coronavirus tests.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
