People entering Malta will no need to show a negative Covid-19 test result if they are unvaccinated as from 25 July, the Health Ministry announced on Monday.

The decision comes after direction from the European Union, the Ministry said.

It means that as from 25 July, those who are not in possession of a valid vaccine or Covid recovery certificate do not need to present a negative PCR or rapid test before entering the country.

The decision brings to an end over two years of restrictions on travel since the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in Malta in March 2020.

Travel stakeholders have long been calling for Malta to scrap all of its travel restrictions – something it has done far more gradually than other countries in the Mediterranean and across the rest of Europe.

The announcement came on the same day that the Health Ministry said that, as per European recommendations, the second booster shot against Covid-19 was going to be made available to all those over the age of 60, rather than 65, in the coming days.