Whether you’ve recently sent your Schengen visa application or already have it, you should know that there are still travel restrictions by country in the Schengen Area due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Germany is one of the Schengen visa countries that hold several COVID-19 travel regulations in 2021. But given that they are constantly varying due to the ever-changing situation of COVID-19 around the world, things might get confusing for travelers without the latest information on the matter.
| [Published on 18 September 2021]
Disclaimer: The information presented in this news may vary from the date it was published and is subject to change. |
Germany travel restrictions updated
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building, and Community (BMI), any foreign person who wants to travel to Germany must complete a digital registration on entry before arrival, particularly if they come from a high-risk area.
In Germany, a high-risk area is any country listed as such by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which collects data for the Ministry of Health. This list keeps changing over time, with several countries coming in and out of it depending on COVID-19 case rates in their territories (including new variants of concern).
In the past few days, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Grenada, Nicaragua, and the Norwegian provinces of Oslo and Viken were added to the list as high-risk areas, while Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Namibia, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, and certain regions of Greece and France have been removed from the list.
This means that people from these areas can skip the registration process and do not need to quarantine upon arrival —as long as they are immunized against COVID-19 with the two doses of any vaccine approved by German authorities (Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson).
But what about the rest of the world?
Germany COVID restrictions for U.S. citizens
Currently, there are COVID restrictions from Germany to USA and vice versa because both countries have listed each other as high-risk destinations by their respective authorities (RKI in Germany and CDC in the U.S.).
In Germany, the United States of America has been considered a COVID-19 high-risk area since August 2021. Americans who want to travel to this European country need to be fully vaccinated for at least two weeks before arrival. They must be able to prove two doses of approved vaccines via CDC card or equivalent digital form at the border.
As established for all high-risk countries, the procedure must be carried out digitally through the Digital Registration on Entry form. Otherwise, the travelers will be compelled to isolate themselves for 10 days (5 days for children under 6 years old and for adults with negative PCR or antigen tests).
- Other English-speaking countries: COVID restrictions between UK and Germany are similar to the USA’s because the United Kingdom has been classified as a high-risk destination since July 2021. This is due to the advent of the Delta variant in that area.
In the same month, Germany’s COVID restrictions to Canada were lifted, meaning that Canadian citizens can travel to Germany freely if they’re vaccinated or they’ve been recently tested for COVID-19 with negative results.
Since September 17th, the West of Ireland is no longer considered a high-risk area by the RKI. Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand’s residents keep having unrestricted access to Germany.
COVID rules entering Germany from France
COVID restrictions between France and Germany have changed in September 2021 when the RKI excluded Corsica and Occitania from the high-risk areas list. Réunion, an island at the east of Madagascar that belongs to France, has also been withdrawn from the list.
Current high-risk areas in France include Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, French Guiana, and French Polynesia.
COVID rules entering Germany from Spain
The situation hasn’t changed much for Spanish travelers. Spain is still a low-risk area for German authorities, although there is no such classification officially.
As mentioned above, other Spanish-speaking countries are also considered low-risk areas after being removed from the high-risk area list on September, 12th. These countries are all from South America.
Exceptions in South America include Colombia and Venezuela, which are still taken as high-risk destinations. Other Spanish-speaking countries that remain classified as high-risk territories as of September, 17th are Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
Who are exempt from these norms?
The main exceptions for COVID-19 travel restrictions to Germany are what the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building, and Community calls “humanitarian reasons”.
These include medical emergencies and verifiable need for treatment, the death of an immediate relative, the birth of your own child, or being a relative of a child under 18 whose legal guardians are absent. Exceptions apply independently of the traveler’s nationality.
People with immediate relatives of German citizenship are also exempt from registration, proof of immunity, or proof of recovery. And, of course, German citizens themselves have unrestricted access to their own country.
Areas of variants of concern
Apart from the high-risk areas list, the RKI has recently added a list of “areas of variants of concern”. Although the record is currently empty, it’s important to pay attention to potential modifications of this list as this new classification involves stricter travel rules.
German authorities want to protect their people from these COVID variants associated with higher mortality rates, so there will be bans on carriages and longer quarantine periods (14 days instead of 10) for travelers from these countries as soon as they appear on the list.
Unlike quarantine for people from high-risk areas, if you come from an area of variants of concern, a two-week period of isolation will be 100% mandatory and you won’t be able to end it prematurely, even if you submit a negative test, proof of vaccination, or proof of recovery.
Current COVID restrictions in Germany
Another common concern for travelers is what they will be permitted to do once they reach their destination. Luckily for them, Germany’s COVID restrictions eased in public spaces.
Let’s take for example Germany’s COVID restrictions for restaurants. In Berlin, restaurants, bars, and canteens are open with hygiene and sanitation protocols. Consumption is only allowed at the tables, mostly outdoors. If you’re not fully vaccinated or you don’t have any proof of immunity, you’ll need a negative PCR or antigen test to go indoors.
Similarly, Germany’s COVID restrictions for events also imply hygiene and sanitation protocols and proof of vaccination or negative test to get into enclosed spaces. The maximum capacity for public events is 1,000 people indoors and 2,000 people outdoors.
For private events, such as weddings and birthdays, it’s 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors in Berlin.
To learn the latest COVID restrictions for each German city, visit their respective websites.
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