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Atravel ban is one of a variety of mobility restrictions imposed by governments. Bans can be universal or selective. The restrictions can be geographic, imposed by either the originating or destination jurisdiction. They can also be based on individual status, such as health or vaccination, or as driving bans during extreme weather events. During theCOVID-19 pandemic, governments banned entry by residents of some or all other countries. Motivations for travel bans vary in nature with some being economic while others being more so politically motivated.[1]
For example, if New Zealand decides not to allow travel to the country, the government stops issuing travel visas. Without a valid visa, citizens of other countries cannot enter.[citation needed]
During a war a country can decide to ban travel to a country or numerous ones even if it is a neutral party in that said conflict. One example is that of the United States in 1939 when it banned travel to any country that was at war with the1939 Neutrality Act in response to the outbreak ofWorld War II in Europe that year despite being a neutral party at the time.[2] Another example from that decade coming from the United States is that of the 1937 Neutrality Act which banned US citizens from travelling on any ship that was owned by or registered to a country that was at war.[3]
Travel bans relating to wars can also be gender-specific as well with one example being when Ukraine in 2022 banned all males aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[4] A travel ban can also be instituted by a supranational union. One example of this is when theEuropean Union banned air travel to Russia in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[5] During theRussian invasion of Ukraine several European countries banned Russians from travelling to their respective countries.[6]
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A country can ban travel to certain countries based on their status of foreign relations and/or if they are viewed with hostility by a said country. During theCold War the United States banned travel by declaring travel invalid to communist countries starting withYugoslavia in 1947 before expanding toHungary (1949),Bulgaria (1950),Czechoslovakia (1951) andAlbania, Bulgaria,China, Czechoslovakia, Hungary,Poland,Romania along with theSoviet Union in 1952 unless it was "specifically endorsed".[7] Countries can also ban travel by certain foreign nationals to specific areas of a said country as done during the Cold War by the United States to nationals of the Soviet Union and vice versa; with the United States restrictions remaining in place from 1955 to 1962.[8] Japan from the end of World War II until 1964 when they hosted the1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics banned travelling abroad for pleasure purposes.[9] American restrictions on travel to China ended in 1971[10] China banned its citizens from travelling abroad and tourists from abroad until after the death ofMao Zedong when the country began to allow limited travel to Hong Kong and Macau starting in 1983.[9]
With the end of the Cold War, travel became more liberalized. Romania would allow its citizens to travel freely to Western countries in January 1990.[11]Albania during the Cold War was one of Eastern Europe's most isolated countries and American tourists were banned from visiting until June 1990 with the exception of if one had family in Albania.[12] Another example of liberalization that happened at close to the same time was seen in South Korea which started to allow all its citizens to travel freely abroad starting in 1989 as previously they wanted to prevent contact with those who believed in communism and to prevent their currency from being weakened. The1988 Summer Olympics which were held in Seoul are credited in part to this as it helped open up the country to the rest of the world.[13] China has also liberalized its travel since the end of the Cold War.[9]
Countries can limit travel not just out of purely diplomatic relations but also out of economic related concerns. In East Asia after World War II, many countries in East Asia limited or banned outbound travel from their own citizens but allowed foreign citizens to visit as a way to bring in foreign money which could help pay for their industrialization.[9]
Due to the spread ofCOVID-19, many countries restricted international and/or domestic travel.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the United States implemented a travel ban for most of those arriving from member countries of theEuropean Union,United Kingdom,India,Brazil,China[14] andJapan[15] with flights coming to India being banned starting on May 4, 2021,[16] but with the exception of U.S. citizens and those with permanent residency cards.[citation needed] The American travel ban lasted until November 8, 2021.[14] During the COVID-19 pandemic the United States closed the US-Mexico border to prevent the spread of COVID-19.[17]
Mexico was one country that did not institute a full border closure during the COVID-19 pandemic.[18][19]
Australia implemented some of the strictest measures during the COVID-19 pandemic with Australia closing it borders to any non-residents and prohibited Australians from going abroad "with a few exceptions".[20] Australia implemented a travel ban on China starting on February 1, 2020, when it was mostly confined to China with Iran (February 29), South Korea (March 5) and Italy (March 10) being later added[21] until international borders were closed entirely on March 20.[22] Australia lifted this ban in November 2021.[23]
A travel ban can be instituted during an extreme weather event. Local governments can ban driving in an attempt to clear major roadways, as was the case during theLate December 2022 North American winter storm.[24] In some cases they may be enforced bymilitary police.[25]
Manycontroversies have sprung up about whether governments have the right to do so. In the United States,a lawsuit challengedExecutive Order 13769 that banned travel from seven Muslim-majority nations.
The EU has imposed restrictions on Russians travelling to Europe following the invasion of Ukraine, with some countries – notably Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Poland and the Czech Republic – imposing an outright ban.
Australia imposed some of the strictest travel restrictions. From 2020, it closed its borders to non-residents and banned Australians from travelling abroad (with a few exceptions).
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