Call for Foreign Affairs and Customs: go on holiday prepared | news item

News item | 06-07-2022 | 06:00

After two years of corona restrictions, many people are going on holiday again. Dirk-Jan Nieuwenhuis, Director of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “Fortunately, we can travel more within and outside Europe. But to be able to really relax, it is useful to prepare well. So you know what risks there are at your destination.”

He emphasizes that good preparation is necessary in several areas. “Whether it concerns the corona rules in a holiday country, what insurance you need, whether there are safety risks or where you can go in case of problems: for a carefree holiday it is important to inform yourself about this in advance.”

Which products can be returned?

Especially for travelers traveling outside the EU, rules apply to which products can and cannot be taken back and under what conditions. Nanette van Schelven, Director-General of Customs: “When you come back from vacation, you don’t want any problems at the border. Whether it concerns food, shells or cash: restrictions or conditions apply to many products.” She therefore advises travelers to inform themselves about which products can and cannot be returned.

“To help travelers comply with the rules, we have the Travel app. This way you can easily find out during your holiday which products you can and cannot take back to the EU,” says Van Schelven. The rules apply to people who travel by plane, but also to people who enter the EU in another way, for example by car or boat.

Check the travel app

In the travel app are the travel advice and customs rules per country. Travelers can make their destination ‘favorite’ in the app. In this way, holidaymakers also stay informed of the travel advice via notifications during their stay. All information can also be found at NetherlandsWereldwijd.nl/wijsopreisincluding a travel checklist which the traveler can check before departure.