On Thursday the EU announced plans to ease a ban on nonessential travel, with foreign students, non-EU nationals who normally live in Europe and some high skilled workers likely to be exempt from the coronavirus restrictions from July 1st.

When the virus first began spreading through Europe in March the EU introduced a ban on all nonessential travel into all member countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland until June 15.

But today’s announcement means borders inside the EU border free travel zone are likely to be fully functional again by the end of June. The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, is recommending that outside borders be opened to give a much-needed boost to lockdown weary economies and in particular the tourism sector.

EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said, While we will all have to remain careful, the time has come to make concrete preparations for lifting restrictions with countries whose health situation is similar to the EU’s and for resuming visa operations,

The spread of the coronavirus remains high in other Non-EU countries with many bans on entry still in place EU citizens.

The EU is careful to add that it is urging member countries to 

make decisions on who they let in, from where based on data from the World Health Organization and Europe’s Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.