Vaccination against COVID-19 with one of the vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) can relieve a person of a ton of headaches when traveling to EU member states.
However, some countries have rules that require travelers to be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival in their territory, at least for a group of countries, if not all.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Future of Aviation (UK), which supports aviation, travel and tourism in the coronavirus, this week published a study showing the cost of testing for people vaccinated against COVID-19. can be up to five times higher than the price of the return flight.
The same study states that between August 24 and September 4, the traveler will have to pay five times more for testing on COVID-19 when traveling from the British airport Exeter to the Spanish Alicante, as well as when traveling from the British airport East Midlands to Spanish Barcelona.
While testing for a person traveling from London Stansted to Berlin will cost the same, more than three times more expensive than a flight.
“These figures show that testing for international travel has become nothing more than a travel tax, adding a huge deterrent to travel, which has seriously undermined the ability of our aviation, travel and tourism industries to recover from the pandemic,” said APPG Chairman Henry Smith.
How much does it cost to test for COVID-19 in some of the most visited EU countries
According to the European Consumer Center (ECC) in France, countries such as Germany and Belgium have the highest costs for testing for COVID-19, while some others, such as Greece and Italy, have the cheapest.
Germany forces visitors to pay up to 150 euros
Germany may be one of the most expensive countries in Europe when it comes to post-arrival testing for travelers who are eligible, as one test can cost between 128 and 150 euros.
However, citizens returning to Germany can be tested free of charge by healthcare professionals throughout Germany, but only once a week.
Belgium offers quick tests for 120 euros
In Belgium, foreign travelers will have to pay up to 50 euros for one PCR test, and the results will be obtained in 24 or 36 hours, although sometimes it takes up to 48 hours. In very exceptional cases, the results of the COVID-19 test may appear even after 72 hours.
However, those who do not have time to wait can take a quick test, which can cost up to 120 euros.
The test can be taken in a doctor’s office, in a laboratory with a doctor’s prescription or in a screening center.
Passing the test on COVID-19 in the favorite place of the British – Spain
Testing in Spain will cost the traveler from 40 euros (antigen test) to 100 euros (PCR). The test can be performed at any of the screening centers of public hospitals or private clinics, and the results will be obtained within a few hours.
For Spanish citizens to take the COVID-19 test is free.
Greece and Italy offer tests on COVID-19 at one of the cheapest prices in Europe
In Greece, not only can free tests be taken in public hospitals or screening centers, but it is also very cheap to take them in a private doctor’s office.
You can get tested for COVID-19 in a private doctor’s office anywhere in Greece for 20-30 euros, and you will get results within 20 minutes for antigen tests and up to 24 hours for PCR tests.
The same is true in Italy, where you can get tested for 20-30 euros in pharmacies, private clinics and medical laboratories.
Reasonable prices for COVID-19 tests in other EU countries
Testing for COVID-19 in other countries of the European Union and the Schengen area is cheaper than in countries such as Germany, Belgium and Spain.
In Austria, for example, travelers arriving in the country via Vienna Airport can be tested by testing providers located at the airport. The cost of a PCR test is 69 euros for adults and 49 euros for children under 18, while the antigen test costs 25 euros for adults and 15 euros for children under 18.
France also offers tests for COVID-19, which are cheaper than in some neighboring countries: a PCR test costs up to 50 euros, and an antigen test – up to 30 euros.
In Croatia, testing can be done in private clinics for 40-50 euros, the results of which will be obtained within 24 hours.
In other countries, such as Malta and Lithuania, taking an antigen test for COVID-19 will cost the traveler between 33 and 43 euros. On the other hand, in the Czech Republic, the cost of one PCR test is about 57 euros.