As the COVID-19 cases decline all over the world, countries are slowly opening up for travel. Germany has joined the list by easing travel rules for those visiting the country. Here’s what we know. By Anushka Goel
Last week, Germany removed about 40 countries from its list of high-risk countries, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Luxembourg, Poland, Sweden, and several non-European Union (EU) nations as well. And now, as per the latest updates by the Robert Koch Institut (RKI), “As of Thursday, March 3, 2022, at 0:00 a.m., with the entry into force of the ‘Third Amendment Ordinance to the Coronavirus Entry Ordinance’, no states/regions will be considered high-risk areas.”
Germany relaxes travel rules
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According to Schengen Visa Info’s website, the German authorities have announced that starting March 3, all the countries will be removed from its high-risk list. This means that no state or region is now considered high-risk or contagious enough so as to be restricted in terms of travel and travellers. Thus, all people can now enter Germany, without being subjected to additional rules such as quarantine and pre-entry testing, the website reports. It is important to note that those regions that report cases will be considered high-risk.
The RKI stated that with the widespread occurrence of the Omicron variant, “the probability of this variant to have a severe course is shown to be less compared to the previous prevalent variants,” reported The Local. This move was initially slated to come later in the week, the media house reports.
Thus, all people from the EU can now enter Germany by presenting a valid vaccination of COVID-19 recovery result or a negative test result reports Schengen Visa Info’s website. What’s more, Germany accepts all vaccination certificates proving that the holder has been fully vaccinated with one of the doses in the last 270 days or proof of recovery from the virus in the last 180 days. Those who have had the booster shot are eligible for restriction-free entry, the website adds. These reports are mandatory for anyone aged above six. Further, those coming from third countries need to be fully vaccinated to be able to enter. In addition to this, those who are unvaccinated can enter Germany as per the new travel rules, but only for essential purposes.
Hero and Featured Image: Courtesy of Jorg Greuel/Getty Images
Related: Why Germany Is LGBTQIA+ Friendly—By Those Who Have Travelled There
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