Germany: Authorities remove quarantine obligation for certain travelers from some locations May 12 /update 46

Event

The German government approved an exception to the COVID-19 quarantine requirement for certain travelers May 12. Authorities designate countries and regions as "high incidence," "risk," or "virus variant" locations depending on local disease activity. Travelers from high-incidence and risk areas who have either received the full course of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency no less than 14 days before arrival or have recovered from COVID-19 within the previous six months are exempt from quarantine requirements. Authorities require a positive result from a COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test administered between six months and 28 days prior to arrival as evidence that a traveler has recovered from COVID-19.

Most travel from outside the EEA, with the exception of travel from Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand, is prohibited. Exemptions are in place for EU nationals or residents and their family members, individuals carrying out essential work, or individuals traveling for urgent reasons. Travelers who have spent any time in a high-incidence area or risk area in the previous 10 days, and do not fall under the vaccination or recovery exemption detailed above, must self-isolate for 10 days; in some regions, individuals are able to end isolation early by taking a second test no sooner than five days after arrival. Travelers who have spent any time in a high-incidence area in the previous 10 days must also possess a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours prior to arrival; travelers from risk areas must get tested for COVID-19 within 48 hours of arrival. Exceptions are in place for individuals in transit, transport workers, individuals who have been vaccinated or who have recovered from COVID-19, and cross-border commuters.

A transport ban is in place for virus-variant areas; only German nationals and residents, as well as certain essential workers, are allowed to enter the country from these areas. All permitted arrivals must possess a negative result from a COVID-19 PCR test taken within the previous 48 hours and self-isolate for 14 days on arrival. As of May 12, Brazil, India, and several southern African countries, including South Africa, remain designated virus-variant areas. For a full English-language list of locations designated by the German government as virus-variant, risk, and high-incidence areas, click here.

All travelers arriving in Germany by air must present a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken within the previous 48 hours; this also applies to individuals in transit.

Domestic restrictions
A slate of recently tightened domestic measures remains in place amid high rates of infection. Districts in which the seven-day incidence rate of new infections is greater than 100 people per 100,000 inhabitants for three days in a row must implement the following measures:

A nightly 22:00-05:00 curfew, during which time individuals may only leave their homes for essential purposes;
Restricting social meetings to taking place with one individual from outside the household, with no other gatherings being permitted;
Closure of catering establishments, cultural sites, and entertainment venues;
Closure of nonessential shops and businesses (in areas where the incidence rate is below 150 per 100,000 inhabitants, shops can permit individual appointments provided the customer has a negative result from a COVID-19 test);
Requiring that individuals work from home when possible;
Requiring that schools return to distance learning where incidence rates exceed 165 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Individuals who have received the full course of a COVID-19 vaccine more than 14 days ago or recovered from COVID-19 within the previous six months are exempt from certain restrictions, including the nightly curfew and limits on gatherings. In areas where the incidence rate is lower than this threshold, previous restrictions apply with slight variations between regions. Generally, gatherings are limited to five people, and many nonessential businesses and services are closed. Authorities require individuals to wear facemasks with a filtering facepiece protection class of at least 2 (FFP2) on public transport and in stores and public offices nationwide.

Authorities could ease, tighten, or otherwise amend restrictions with little-to-no notice based on disease activity over the coming weeks.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Abide by national health and safety measures. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Consider delaying traveling if experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19, as they may prompt increased scrutiny and delays. Liaise with trusted contacts for further updates and guidance. Maintain contact with your diplomatic representation. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions.