Travelling to Germany 2021: Coronavirus has seriously affected people’s travel plans. As summer approaches, many people living abroad are wondering whether they’ll be allowed to travel to Germany. At the same time, people living in Germany who would like to travel abroad for holidays are wondering whether they’ll be able to do so and return to Germany without facing problems.
The following guide provides important information for all planning to travel to Germany or re-enter the country after holidaying abroad: It contains the coronavirus regulations currently in force.
People travelling to Germany
The new Ordinance on Coronavirus Entry Regulations dated 12th May 2021 requires all people travelling to Germany to observe the following rules.
Registration before entering Germany
All travellers coming to Germany are required to register on the travel portal of the Federal Republic of Germany at https://www.einreiseanmeldung.de After doing the registration, make sure you carry with you the confirmation of registration for inspection by the carrier or on entry by the Federal Police.
Travelling to Germany from the EU
There are no pandemic-related travel restrictions currently applicable to travellers entering Germany from member states of the European Union or from Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Iceland. However, under the Ordinance on Coronavirus Entry Regulations (Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung) all travellers are required to complete digital registration on entry, to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result depending on the risk status of the country of departure or means of travel (airplane), and to comply with the quarantine regulations of the relevant federal states.
Entering Germany from a risk area
All travellers entering Germany who have spent time in a risk area within 10 days prior to entry must go straight to their own homes or any other suitable accommodation and remain exclusively at this location for a period of 10 days after entry into Germany (quarantine).
Proof of vaccination or of recovery from COVID-19
Travellers who can provide proof of vaccination or of recovery from COVID-19 can use such proof in place of a negative test certificate. This will exempt them from quarantine on entry to Germany. This rule doesn’t apply to travellers who have spent time in an area of virus variants of concern prior to entry.
All people travelling to Germany after spending time in a high-incidence area prior to entry cannot take Coronavirus test earlier than five days after entry.
Those entering Germany having spent time in an area of variants of concern must go into quarantine for a period of 14 days and this cannot be ended prematurely. Such travellers are required to bear the cost of being quarantined themselves. Whoever violates this rules risks a fine of up to 25,000 euros.
The list of risk areas- high incidence areas
- Costa Rica
- Georgia
- The Maldives
- Nepal
Areas with increased SARS-CoV-2 infection risk
- Armenia
- Malaysia
- Montenegro
- Norway – the province of Vestfold og Telemark
- Poland
- Hungary
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – British overseas territory Anguilla
Areas that are no longer considered risk areas
- Albania
- Finland – the regions of Uusimaa (this also includes the city of Helsinki) and Varsinais-Suomi
- Malta
- Norway – the province of Rogaland is no longer considered a risk area.
- Portugal – the Algarve region
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – the UK overseas territory of the Falkland Islands
Please check an updated list of risk areas, including high-incidence areas and areas of variants of concern here:
Entering Germany from an area of variants of concern
Travellers who spent 10 days prior to entering Germany and those who coming from an area of variants of concern must be in possession of a test certificate (antigen test: max. 24 hour, PCR test: max. 72 hours old on entry). They must present the certificate to the carrier before departure.
Entering Germany from high-incidence area
Travellers entering Germany from high-incidence areas must be in possession of a test certificate (antigen test: max. 48 hour, PCR test: max. 72 hours old on entry, proof of recovery from COVID-19 or proof of vaccination. They are also required to present the relevant certificate to the carrier before departure.
Entering Germany from a risk area
The other travellers entering Germany from risk areas that are neither high-incidence areas nor areas of variants of concern, must be in possession of a test certificate, proof of recovery from COVID-19 or a vaccination certificate, at the latest 48 before entry, and must transmit this to the Federal Republic of Germany’s travel portal: https://www.einreiseanmeldung.de
Will unvaccinated tourists allowed to come to Germany this summer?
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has hinted that unvaccinated travellers may be permitted to travel throughout Europe this summer. At the moment this only remains a suggestion. Depending on the infection rates, German government may decide to relax or lift the travel restrictions.