Most museums in Europe remain open - but demand Covid-19 passports

Museums are open since 11 December 2021. Visitors may enter if they comply with the so called 2G rule, which mean that only people who are vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 may enter. FFP2-masks are mandatory.

Guided tours and other events are possible – with restrictions (visitor registrations, official reporting required).

Advocacy

The Austrian Museus Association was successful in advocating for museums to be treated as trading companies, which means that if the shops are open, museum are allowed to stay open as well.

How are museums doing?

People still visit museums, but numbers are declining, tourists are missing, people have other obligations or they are afraid to move in public.

Austrian Museums Association, 3^rd week of December 2021

Museums in Belgium are open since 1 December 2020. People must get a so called Covid Safe Ticket (CST) to visit a museum. A CST is acquired by providing proof of:

• Complete vaccination with a vaccine recognized by the European Union;
• Certificate of a negative PCR test performed (max 48 hours old), or an antigen test (rapid test) performed (max 24 hours old). Antigen testing must be performed by a legally authorized person. Organizers may, but are not required to, offer these tests upon entry;
• Proof of recovery from Covid-19 that is no older than 180 days.

Additionally, all visitors above the age of 6 years old must wear a mask and the distance of 1.5 meters between visitors of different families/people living together must be respected. School visits and activities in a museum are not allowed since 3 November 2021. Museum restaurants stays open but until 23h00 only; mandatory CST & mask until being seated until and a maximum of 6 guests are allowed per table.

There is no more mandatory circuit so visitors can freely wander within an exhibition or museum spaces

Indoor events are limited to a maximum of 200 people seated with a mask and CST must be followed for events with more than 50 people. Activities organized with an attendant (e.g. creative workshops, training courses, guided tours), CST is mandatory in addition to distance and mask rules even if the number of participants is less than 50 people indoors (100 outdoors).

Since 1 September 2021, the use of an air quality (CO2) measuring device is mandatory and must be installed so that it is clearly visible to visitors in shared enclosed spaces of the cultural sector. The device indicates if the space is adequately ventilated. The target air quality standard is 900 ppm CO2.

Since 20 November 2021, four-day-a-week remote work is mandatory, presence at work only if required by the function.

ICOM Belgium Wallonia-Brussels, 1st week of December

Officially, museums must remain closed until 31 March 2022 by orders issued on 26 November 2021 by the Bulgarian Ministry of Health. However, if museums comply with the following conditions, they may keep open:

• All staff members are vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or have a valid negative test, and
• The museum only admits visitors who are vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or have a valid negative test.

These rules do not apply to people under the age of 18.

Educational activities for children are allowed if a 1.5 safety distance is respected and that no more than 5 people are in the same room. People need to wear masks, ensure hand hygiene and rooms must be ventilated every hour.

How are museums doing?

Bulgarian museums continue to organise exhibitions and provide their audience with the opportunity to meet with cultural heritage, but the number of visitors has decreased significantly. However, this and the pandemic at large is likely to provoke museums to improve, be flexible, apply new methods and ways to reach their audience, to continue to fulfil their mission.

Bulgarian Museums Association, 2nd week of December 2021

Museums are open (since the end of april 2020), but visitors need to wear masks and present a Covid-19 pass to prove full vaccination, recovery from Covid-19 or negative test.

Croatian Museums Association, 4th week of December

Museums are open (since 8 February 2020), however with some restrictions and limitations. People are allowed to enter only if they have a valid so called “safe pass” that needs to be scanned at the entrance. Safe pass proves either vaccination, recovery from Covid-19 or one week's PCR/rapid test. Additionally, visitors must wear a mask and the maximum number of visitors is restricted based on the total square meter of the venue.

Starting from 15 December, unvaccinated people cannot enter restaurants, coffee shops, theatres, cinemas or attend any social events, but there is no special reference to museums.

As for educational activities, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth, has announced that public schools can attend selected museums and environmental activities that are organised by the Ministry itself. In the case of private museums, school visits are not allowed even if the museum is accredited by the state and the educational programmes are evaluated by the Ministry.

How are museums doing?

In general, the number of visitors has increased slightly compared to the first 6 months of 2021. Most museums have proceeded with their planned temporary exhibitions which indicates that they are optimistic that people will visit. Currently, the private museums struggle with several cancellations by schools since they are not allowed to visit. Many family events are also cancelled due to low participation.  

Costas and Rita Severis Foundation (Centre of Visual Arts and Research), 3rd week of December 2021

Museusm are open since 10 May 2021. Currently, visitors must wear FFP2 masks during their visit. To attend group events with more than 20 visitors and any bigger event it is also required to show a certificate of full vaccination, recovery or a negative PCR test (valid for 72 hours) in case vaccination is not completed. People who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons have to show medical proof that they cannot get vaccinated together with a negative PCR test.

Czech Association of Museums and Galleries, 2nd week of December 2021

In connection to nationwide corona restrictions, museums have to close on 19 December 2021 and must remain closed for 4 weeks.

Association of Danish Museums, 3^rd week of December 2021

Estonian museums are open since 3 May 2021. Museum visitors aged 12 years and older should be vaccinated and have to show proof of vaccination. Masks must be worn indoors. Since the numbers increased too much, unvaccinated people with a negative test are not allowed anymore.

Some exceptions to the vaccination demand apply to the educational programs. Children (up to 19 years old) from one class don't have to be vaccinated to participate since they do obligatory Covid-19 tests in school 2-3 times per week. However, the school groups cannot be mixed.

Although the infection rate was quite high in November, there were never any discussions to close museums. It seems like the importance of keeping cultural organisations open is now widely accepted. Also, museums have been very attentive in offering safe museum visits (by controlling masks, vaccine certificates, disinfecting). Museums are not overcrowded and it is possible to keep distances.

Advocacy

The Estonian Museums Association and the Ministry of Culture stood behind an exception to the demand for vaccination from 12 years to allow more children to join education activities at museums. The exception allows children up to 19 years old from one class to join educational activities without having to be vaccinated. School children are tested in school 2-3 times per week anyways. However, the school groups cannot be mixed.

How are museums doing?

Generally, visitor numbers in Tallinn are still low compared to 2019 figures since international tourism still is considerably low, whereas smaller museums in other regions are faring better since the local tourism has increase

Estonian Museums Association, 2^nd week of December 2021

Museums are open since 1 June, but many require Covid-19 passports, which shows if a person is vaccinated, recovered or tested negative. There are regional restrictions that allow only 20 persons indoors. The Covid-19 passports are not mandatory, but they allow museums to admit more visitors at the same time. 

Finnish Museums Association, 3rd week of December 2021

Museums are open since 19 May 2021. People can visit museums providing that they have a Covid certificate (‘passe sanitaire’), which proves that they are either fully vaccinated, have a negative test result no older than 24 hours or are recovered from Covid-19 in the last six months. People accessing these establishments for professional or research purposes are excepted this rule but they must be able to present a valid reason.

Additionally, people need to wear masks when visiting the museum.

ICOM France, 2nd week of December 2021

Museums are open since spring 2021. Starting 6 December 2021, all museums in Germany must operate under the so called 2G-Rule, which requires visitors to show proof of vaccination or recovery. Some regions in Germany may introduce stricter rules to combat the pandemic, but the museums will still stay open.

Advocacy

The German Museums Association systematically advocated for the need to keep museums open until the reopening in spring. Now the Association keep in touch with politicians and will be ready to react publicly if museums must close again.

How are museums doing?

The control of the electronic health pass is a logistic challenge, but the museums are well prepared and have already implemented a wide range of sanitary rules to offer a safe visit experience.

Museums are experiencing low visitor numbers and the Museums Association expects between 40-60% decrease in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019. Furthermore, the apprehension that the virus will be active in the next years have a negative impact on planification. The fear of budget cuts to absorb public spending during the pandemic makes it difficult to keep an optimistic lookout at the future.

German Museums Association, 2nd week of December 2021

Museums in Greece are open since 14 May 2021. Masks must be worn during the visit and to enter museums, visitors aged 12 years and older must demonstrate:

• vaccination certificate or
• recovery certificate (within 6 months after diagnosis)

Children aged 4-17 years may present, as an alternative, result of a self-test from the last 24 hours. The visitors' identity is confirmed through ID card/passport. For minors over 12 years old, any official document or social security (AMKA) certification is considered valid.

Advocacy

Museums in Greece are an integral part of the country’s tourist product throughout the year. Therefore, both the government in general and the Ministry of Culture in particular have supported the opening and normal operation of the museums strongly and are still doing everything to that end.

How are museums doing?

Museums in Greece are seeing a decrease in visitors compared to 2019, as was expected. But there is an increase when compared to 2020.

Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation, 2nd week of December 2021

Visitors to Hungarian museums, which have been open since May 2021, must adhere some basic epidemiologic rules, according to the national pandemic regulations and various local regulations.

On the national level, since 20^th of November it is mandatory to wear masks when visiting indoor venues like museums, theatres, cinemas or any other cultural facilities. In cultural institutions the staff members also have to wear masks during working hours. Admission to cultural events above 500 visitors is allowed only with vaccination and immunity certificate (plastic card or EU app). 

Next to these general conditions, the museums on the local level may announce their own regulations, with consideration to the actual pandemic situation. Many museums allow visitors only with vaccination and immunity certificate. Several museum events have been cancelled or delayed, and many others moved to the virtual space.

How are museums doing?

A recent research report by Marianna Berényi on the effect of the pandemic on the museum sector found that the number of visitors in 2020 decreased by 63% compared to 2019.

Pulszky Society - Hungarian Museums Association, 2nd week of December 2021

Museums have been open since the end of November 2020. Current restrictions limit gatherings to 50 people, which means that museums are not able to welcome more than 50 visitors at once. Museums carry on to offer educational activities, lectures and other small events to max. 50 people. There is no demand to show proof of vaccination or a test to visit museums.

How are museums doing?

Museums in Iceland are doing better in 2021 than 2020 since there was an increase in tourists in 2021. For instance, the Herring Era Museum in Siglufjörður increased its visitor number with 74% compared to 2020. However, the 2021 visitor number is still 25% lower than in 2019.

Icelandic Museums Association, 2nd week of December

To visit a museum (open since 21 June 2021) people must show their so called Green pass, which proves vaccination, recovery or negative test. Schools are not allowed to do extra-school activities   museums visits and laboratories included.

How are museums doing?

Most of the “big” museums adopted a mandatory online booking and are able to manage a large number of visitors; numbers are obviously lower than before pandemic, but especially due to the reduction of tourists. Generally speaking, State museums have been more resilient, thanks to direct governmental support, while small and medium-sized museums of different management (e.g. local administration, private subjects, etc.) suffered more; a few of them closed and didn’t reopen. In any case, the actual situation is more affected by a reduction of tourism, than by Covid-19 regulations.

ICOM Italy, 4^th week of December 2021

Museums reopened on 15 November 2021 after being closed since 20 October due to a national lockdown.

Visitors need to present a Covid-19 certificate of vaccination or recovery. Until 11 January, museums may not accommodate groups of school children or facilitate face-to-face educational classes.

Latvian Museums Association, 3rd week of November 2021

Museums, which have been open since 15 March, need to adhere to some restrictions considering mask and Covid passport requirements. Additionally, people need to wear masks and respect safety distance of at least two meters.

Lithuanian Museums Association, 3rd week of December 2021

Museums have been able to keep open since June 2020. Visitors are asked to wear a mask and their temperature is checked before entering. Large groups are not allowed.

How are museums doing?

Visitor numbers are looking promising despite the circumstances. State museums in Malta close once a week to contain costs and reduce losses.

Heritage Malta, 1^st week of December 2021

In connection to a national lockdown, museums are closed from 19 December 2021 until 14 January 2022.

During the Autumn, museums had to be ready to adapt to new regulations since the directives and the overall situation changed every 2 or 3 weeks. Before the lockdown and as of 28 November 2021, museums had to ask visitors to present a QR-code that shows if they are either vaccinated, recovered from Covid-19 or if they tested negative. There could be maximum one visitor per 5 square meters.

Netherlands Museums Association, 4th week of December 2021

Starting 15 December, people must wear masks at indoor events and maximum 20 unseated/ 50 seated people may participate. People must be always at a minimum of one meter distance from each other.

Currently, there is no requirement to show a corona passport to enter museums or participate in other cultural events.

Norwegian Museums Association, 3rd week of December 2021

Museums (open since 4 May 2021) can work almost normally with some sanitary restrictions and according to the guidelines prepared for them by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. For example: 1 person per 15 m2 and visitor have to wear masks.

National Institute for Museums and Public Collections, 4th week of December 2021

People have been able to visit museums since April 2021 providing that they wear a mask. In the case of concerts and theatre performances in museums, visitors are obliged to show a digital vaccination certificate. No certificate is required to visit the exhibitions.

How are museums doing?

Museums registered a sharp drop in visitors this year. From January to June, national museums had a 68% decrease in the number of visitors compared to the first 6 months of 2020. However, there is no news of museum closures. As most Portuguese museums are public, the State and municipalities have contributed to their maintenance and payment of salaries.

General Direction Cultural Heritage Portugal (DGPC), 1st week of December 2021

All museums are open and have been able to keep open since May 2021. No need to show proof of vaccination, recovery or negative test. Visitors must wear masks and keep distance.

National Network of Romanian Museums, 4th week of December 2021

Some museums only sell tickets online due to Covid-19. Visitors must wear masks and there are visitor number limitations. Also, some museums let 30% of employees work remotely and most museums have been covid-free.

How are museums doing?

Most of the museums have since the lockdown reopened. The number of visitors is less than pre-pandemic because of vaccination rules and self-isolation, but visitors still come. 

ICOM Russia, 2nd week of December 2021

Museums could open again on 10 December 2021 after being declared an exception from the national lockdown that stared on 29 November.

People must be vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 to visit museums, which reopened on 10 December after having to close on 29 November.

Advocacy

The Union of Museums in Slovakia advocated for the Department of Culture to allow museums to reopen in connection to the relaxation of some measures in Slovakia. They were successful since museums are excepted from the national lockdown and were able to open again on 10 December.

Union of Museums in Slovakia, 2nd week of December

Museums in Slovenia are open since 6 February 2021. Visitors must show an EU Digital Covid Certificate of vaccination or proof of recovered or a negative test no older than 48 hours together with a personal ID. One person per 10 square meters is allowed and momentarily museums avoid bigger public events.

Slovenian Museums Association, 2nd week of December 2021

Since June 2020, museums and exhibition halls, publicly or privately owned, have been able to host public visits to the collection and temporary exhibitions and carry out cultural or educational activities. They must respect the general prevention and hygiene measures and trying to maintain a safety distance interpersonal.

The use of a mask is mandatory and safety distance must be respected. The number of visitors per group visits is set by the management of each centre. Museums must provide alcogel and other material necessary to ensure good hygiene.

Periodic ventilation must be carried out in the facilities at least once daily to allow for complete renewal of the air.

It is recommended to promote those activities that avoid physical closeness between the participants, prioritizing autonomous activities. The design of educational, scientific and informative digital resources has been strengthened, which allow the function as educational institutions and transmitters of knowledge by means other than face-to-face ones. As far as possible, the use of the exposed elements designed for tactile use by the visitor is disabled. In the case of audio guides, their use is allowed as long as they are disinfected after each use by the service provider.

Spanish Association of Cultural Heritage Managers, 3rd week of December 2021

 

Museums are open. There is no demand to show proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative test. There are overall recommendations to keep distance. For event with over 100 people, proof of vaccination is required. 

Advocacy

The Swedish Museums Association stand behind a proposal of introducing vaccination passes rather than again receive recommendations to close as in November 2020. In the proposal (page 55), the government especially mentions the importance of ensuring access to museums even during the pandemic. Vaccination passes would ensure access for most of the population, whereas if museums must close no one is able to visit.

How are museums doing?

Visitor numbers are still low in bigger cities although numbers increased in October/ November. Generally, numbers are 50-80% lower compared to 2019. The new variant Omikron has reduced the optimism that the Swedish museums had sensed, but they have learnt to adjust and adapt.

Swedish Museums Association, 3rd week of December 2021

Museums are open (1 March 2021) and starting from 20 December 2021, visitors must follow the so called 2G rule, which means that only people who are vaccinated or recovered may visit museums. Masks are mandatory.

How are museums doing?

In general, museums are experiencing a drop in attendance since last year. Visitors who are not vaccinated cannot go to the museum and the drop in tourism has also had an affect on the attendance figures.

Swiss Museums Association, 2nd week of December 2021

Museums are open since the spring, but there are new public health measures in place that mean that mask-wearing in museums is once again required across the UK.

People need to show proof of vaccination or a negative lateral flow test via their NHS Covid Pass before entering venues where large crowds gather, including unseated indoor events with more than 500 people.

UK Museums Association, 3rd week of December 2021