The European Union is proposing suspending all non-essential travel for 30 days. Only residents, family members and essential staff – healthcare workers and medical experts – will be exempt from the measures.

The Commission presented guidelines to Member States on health-related border management measures in the context of the COVID-19 emergency. The aims are to protect citizens’ health, ensure the right treatment of people who do have to travel and make sure essential goods and services remain available.  

European Commission President Ursula von der Lyen said:

Our measures to contain the Coronavirus outbreak will be effective only if we coordinate on the European level. We have to take exceptional measures to protect the health of our citizens. But let’s make sure goods and essential services continue to flow in our internal market. This is the only way to prevent shortages of medical equipment or food. It’s not only an economic issue: our single market is a key instrument of European solidarity. I am in discussion with all Member States so that we confront this challenge together, as a Union.

She later confirmed the position with regards to UK citizens at a press conference:

UK citizens are European citizens so of course there are no restrictions for the UK citizens to travel to the continent.