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When are European borders expected to be open for non-European tourists? I am planning to travel at the end of October.

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    Thanks for posting. However this is impossible to know. Governments are not announcing expected opening dates, and even if they did circumstances can change. Also different countries can open their borders at different times. Aug 27, 2020 at 13:07
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    Each country now practice their own regulations. It does not make sense to ask about 'European borders' as you do. Several European countries already allow Non-European tourists to enter, but you have to be more specific. But realisticly, even if you ask for specific countries, the answers won't help you anyway. There is no way for anyone to predict how the rules are to be in two months from now. Aug 27, 2020 at 13:57
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    I disagree with the decision to close the question. It's perfectly reasonable to ask about European borders, both in a pragmatic sense (even beyond the EU) and because many European countries have a common (external) border policy. The fact that it's been effectively replaced with ad hoc constantly changing measures is in itself a non-trivial answer.
    – Relaxed
    Aug 28, 2020 at 6:50
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    I don't get the nobody-can-predict throw-hands-in-the-air reaction we see so often. Everything we deal with here has some level of uncertainty and is liable to change (and that's equally true for transport timetables, fare structures, visa regulation, etc.). But we do know enough to guess what's likely or not likely. In that case, we can pretty much rule a return to the statu quo ante or the notion that there will be no restrictions whatsoever on non-European tourists in October. That's also an answer.
    – Relaxed
    Aug 28, 2020 at 6:55
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    In any case, the question is clearly not opinion-based as defined in the help center and the message on the banner is unhelpful. The question is only asking for facts, nothing else. To the extent that it's difficult to answer conclusively it's because those facts are not fully knowable at this point, not because they are a matter of opinion or preference.
    – Relaxed
    Aug 28, 2020 at 6:59

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What the last months revealed is how difficult that will be and how little coordination there is in this matter. Schengen countries (which include 7 of the top 10 tourism destinations in Europe by number of international visitors) worked out some agreement to try to resume some sort of common policy in this respect but individual countries still took a lot of ad hoc measures, some of which have been rolled back pretty quickly following an increase in Covid-19 cases.

Many governments (re)introduced measures like mandatory tests and quarantines for travellers going from (some part of) one European country to the next. Those are seldom enforced at the border but would still make cross-border movement more difficult. Planning a trip in October therefore seems very risky.

If you still choose to book a trip, Where can we find frequently updated details about travel/entry restrictions due to Coronavirus (nCoV-19)? list many useful ressources you could peruse to assess the situation before leaving. Always check your own country's foreign official travel advice, as it will often provide details on the rules that apply abroad to their citizens and/or residents and also inform you of any requirements that might apply when you come back.

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Border openings tend not to be planned that far ahead as governments typically have no clue on the evolution of the pandemic. Additionally, as DJClayworth notes, each European country had its own policy. E.g., Croatia is currently open to non-European tourists.

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