KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has announced that it has increased its direct flight frequency between Cape Town and Amsterdam.
“The schedule increase is a result of a greater demand for flights between Amsterdam and the coastal city, which remains popular with tourists,” the airline said in a statement on Tuesday (5 April).
More KLM flights from Cape Town to Amsterdam
KLM has increased its flight schedule from Cape Town to Amsterdam to six flights per week, with daily flights from Cape Town commencing from 11 July 2022.
It is now possible for fully vaccinated travellers from South Africa to enter The Netherlands with no quarantine restrictions or COVID-19 test requirements.
The current entry regulations are as follows:
- Vaccinated travellers are now able to enter The Netherlands with proof of vaccination, subject to visa requirements. They must also complete a Vaccine Declaration COVID-19 form.
- Travellers are also advised to do a self-rest on arrival and again after day five.
- The EU entry ban still applies for unvaccinated travellers, who may only enter the Netherlands if they fall under one of the exemption categories, subject to visa requirements. A “Health Declaration” is also still required.
There are no specific requirements for passengers transiting via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The entry and exit regulations of the country of final destination must be adhered to. These can be checked on the KLM travel advisory website.
Travellers are also encouraged to check entry requirements before arriving in The Netherlands on the official government website.
Travel restrictions eased
The news comes soon after The Netherlands eased travel restrictions against South Africa in February this year, a move that boosted tourist arrivals between the two countries.
Several other countries, including France and the United Arab Emirates, similarly relaxed restrictions they had imposed in November last year when South Africa announced the discovery of the Omicron variant.
On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the end of the COVID-19 National State of Disaster, which means that several restrictions South Africa had imposed have fallen away. However, travel provisions are among those that will remain in place for a transitional period of 30 days.
“Existing provisions with respect to international travel remain in place. Travellers entering South Africa will need to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours,” Ramaphosa said.
“If a traveller does not submit a vaccine certificate or proof of a negative COVID-19 test, they will be required to do an antigen test on arrival. If they test positive for COVID-19, they will need to isolate for 10 days.”