Danish Police confirm leniency the first days of the new COVID-19 test requirement

In a press release sent out today, the Danish Police confirms that travellers arriving under the worthy cause clause will not be sent back if they do not have a negative COVID-19 test just yet.

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By Bente D. Knudsen

Confusion reigns with the new regulations concerning a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours old for residents in the EU/Schengen and United Kingdom:  also at the Danish Police who must enforce them.

For new readers: these are the changes to the worthy cause clause which allow for instance family members and sweet hearts, people coming for job interviews or for business travel etc.  to enter Denmark even if they are residents in a country classified as banned on the list made by the Danish Foreign Office together with the health authorities, the colour code here is then orange.

The new change is that the test requirement applies now to EU/Schengen and United Kingdom residents entering under the worthy clause exemption.

Apart from handling the new test requirement , the confusion also arises as there is now a new classification added to them.

This is an EU classification agreed upon on the 13 October 2020, where all EU countries have agreed to classify EU countries in the same way, and with the same colour codes, to allow travellers to understand whether they can travel to a country or not.

The colour codes are green, orange, red and grey. Find a link to the EU classification and list here.

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In Denmark, the confusion is so much greater as the EU classification of a closed and thus banned country starts at 50 new infections per 100,000, whereas in Denmark it is at 30 new infections per 100,000.

The EU classification leaves the following countries open for travellers to Denmark under the worthy cause clause without a negative COVID-19 test as Your Danish Life reads the list:

Sweden

Germany

Lithuania

Cyprus

Latvia

This is because these countries, even if orange on the Danish list, in the EU classfication are not red or grey and therefore not classified as high risk countries.

In the EU classification a country that is red or grey is defined as a high-risk country by the Danish authorities.

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You can find a link to the list of these red and grey countries here, they also include other Schengen countries and the United Kingdom is also on the list.

Thus, a double evaluation has to be made by the Danish border control.

Residents from a Danish classified orange country (and thus a banned country) who want to enter and who cannot enter under one of the worthy cause regulations have to be turned away at the border.

Anyone on the worthy clause regulation must be evaluated based on the EU classification of red and grey, thus for instance letting in people on the worthy clause regulation without a COVID-19 test who come from a country which is not red or grey on the EU list but could be orange on the Danish Foreign Office list.

Confused ?

Our police source confirms that the Danish police is very much aware of the potential confusion and assures that normal Danish good sense will be applied until everything becomes clearer.

Thus travellers to Denmark under the worthy clause regulation who should now have a COVID-19 test to enter as of today 26 October will be allowed in under condition of taking a coronavirus test at the Danish border and filling out a form (link here) for the time being and until everyone understands the new requirement.

How long this will be, Your Danish Life has not been able to get any confirmation of, but most likely for the next coming days at least the police say.

Danes and foreigners who are residents in Denmark do NOT need a COVID-19 test to enter.

Our police source confirms that they are working on getting things clearer as quickly as possible. Your Danish Life is following the story.