Entry into Germany remains straightforward. With the Seventh Ordinance Amending the Coronavirus Entry Ordinance, presented by the Federal Ministry of Health, the federal government is once again extending the regulation that has been in effect since June 2022.
The following easing of restrictions will apply for the time being until April 7, 2023:
- People entering Germany are not required to provide proof that they have been vaccinated against the coronavirus, have recovered from it, or have been tested.
- The category of high-risk areas has been eliminated. Travelers do not need to provide proof that they have been vaccinated, have recovered, or have been tested, provided they are not entering from an area with a virus variant. In such cases, the existing strict registration, proof, and quarantine regulations still apply (see below).
- For proof of vaccination, it will be sufficient in the future to have been vaccinated with the WHO-recognized vaccines Sinova, Sinopharm, or Coronavac from Chinese manufacturers, or Covaxin from an Indian manufacturer. If vaccinated with one of the above-mentioned vaccines recognized by the WHO, a booster shot with the vaccines listed above or with vaccines approved by the EMA is required 270 days after the primary vaccination series.
- COVID-19-related entry restrictions for travelers from third countries have been lifted. Entry is once again possible without COVID-19-related restrictions, provided that general residency requirements and other border control entry regulations are met. Due to a reciprocity clause, this does not apply to entries by residents of China.
Areas with virus variants: Mandatory testing and quarantine upon entry
For virus variant areas, a distinction is made between:
a) Areas with virus variants where a variant of concern is already present. In these areas, a travel ban, proof of negative test, and mandatory quarantine apply.
b) Virus variant areas where a variant of concern is at risk of emerging. In this case, only a requirement to provide proof of a negative test result prior to entry and random testing after entry apply.
As of January 9, 2023, the People’s Republic of China (excluding the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region) is considered a “virus variant area where a variant of concern is at risk of emerging.”
The Federal Ministry of Health provides answers here regarding the rules that apply when entering Germany from a virus variant area.
Exceptions continue to apply to cross-border commuters. The Federal Ministry of Health has listed the individual exceptions in an FAQ.
Stay Informed
Changes to entry and quarantine regulations may occur without prior notice and take effect immediately. Detailed information on current high-risk countries is available on the RKI website.
Our tip: You can also check aufreiseanmeldung.de to see if you have been in a high-risk area and what you need to keep in mind when entering Germany, for example, from a non-EU country. New high-risk areas are posted on the portal at 12:00 a.m. on the day they take effect. Travelers should check the portal before departure to see if the countries they have visited in the ten days prior to entering Germany are classified as high-risk areas.
News about COVID-19 and Travel
The travel and safety advisories from the Federal Foreign Office are updated regularly. This information is also available via the “Sicher Reisen” app. If you wish, you can receive push notifications if the travel advisories for the country where you are currently staying change.
Information on travel restrictions within the EU is available in 24 languages on the“Re-open EU”platform. The platform also indicates whether the destination country uses the EU Digital COVID Certificate. This information is also available in the app of the same name.
The Federal Ministry of Health answers questions and provides information regarding the Coronavirus Entry Regulation here.
