Skip to content

Entry to Germany in October 2021: Restrictions on the border and in Germany

Entry to Germany in October 2021: From the fall of last year in Germany, with the arrival of autumn, the epidemiological situation is deteriorating. Therefore, it is important to consider the tightening of sanitary requirements when crossing the border.

Important: Anyone who intends to travel to Germany in October 2021 must take into account not only restrictions on the border, but also restrictions applicable throughout the country. This applies, inter alia, to the need to show the so-called covid pass to access restaurants, bars, hotels, swimming pools, hairdressing salons, and more.

Entry to GERMANY and transit through Germany: Restrictions in force OCTOBER 2021.

Entry into and transit through Germany is, as a rule,  only possible with a negative test result, a certificate of vaccination against Covid-19 or a convalescent.

The following are exempt from the tests:

  • children up to 12 years of age;
  • vaccinated persons (14 days after administration of the last dose of vaccine authorized in the EU);
  • convalescents (28 days-6 months after illness);
  • persons professionally transporting persons or goods;
  • cross-border workers;
  • persons crossing the border as part of local border traffic up to 24 hours.

TRANSIT through Germany 

During transit (i.e. traveling through Germany  to another country), the  following are exempt from the obligation to have a test:

  • children up to 12 years of age;
  • vaccinated persons (14 days after administration of the last dose of vaccine authorized in the EU);
  • convalescents (28 days-6 months after illness);
  • persons professionally transporting persons or goods;
  • people transferring at the German airport for the next flight.

Transit should take place without unnecessary stops and overnight stays.

Test requirements: 

Rapid antigen tests can be performed at the earliest 48 hours prior to border crossing.

Important: The time is counted from the time the sample was taken, not from the receipt of the result. The test result must be available in German, English, French, Spanish or Italian.

Requirements for vaccination certificates and being a healed:

The EU COVID-19 Certificate may serve as confirmation of being a vaccinated or healed person.

Cross-border workers – entry without a test only by land

Cross-border workers and persons in local border traffic do not have to fail the test when crossing the land border. However, if they arrive in Germany, they must either have a negative test result or take advantage of another exemption.

BORDER CHECKS

Sanitary checks at the borders with Germany are random.

Entering Germany from a DIFFERENT country:

When traveling to Germany, make sure that the country you are departing from does not belong to:

  • high risk area (Hochrisikogebiet);
  • the area of ​​occurrence of the mutation (Virusvariantengebiet).

The current list of risk areas is available in German and English on the website of  the Robert Koch Institute . Poland is not considered a risk area. Read on below

Covid passes in Germany – where required

covid pass is required in all areas with a seven-day infection rate above 35. The new rules entered into force on August 23 and apply to all people who are neither fully vaccinated nor convicted.

People who have not been vaccinated or recovered must undergo a coronavirus test if they want to go to a pub, hairdresser, concert or hotel overnight in Germany, for example. A negative test result must also be presented when visiting patients in hospitals and people in care homes.