What you need to know and what to expect when travelling to Germany during the Covid-19 pandemic
Everything is constantly changing
This will not come as a surprise to any scholar who has contemplated travel since February 2020 - border policies and local restrictions in most European countries (as well as elsewhere) change more swiftly than the conference websites trying to keep up with them. So the first rule is: keep checking the official country/federal state policy websites (links listed at the bottom of this page) to make sure you have the very latest updates and do not only rely on this page here. We will do our very best to keep our information up to date but we cannot guarantee all the details will be accurate as the kaleidoscope of the pandemic keeps turning…
Second most important rule: you must have medical travel insurance if you are a non EU national (this is an official requirement by Germany). More information can be found here.
The third rule is to be prepared. It is worth reading these resources and then checking some of the government websites yourself. When making travel arrangements make sure that it is possible to return from Germany to your country of origin and if you need to quarantine upon your return. Similarly it might be worth having some plans in place if you catch COVID and need to stay when sick. Having the number for your country's embassy is handy, as is having medical travel insurance even as an EU national from whom it is not required.
Entry Rules
General entry restrictions
No pandemic-related travel restrictions currently apply to travellers entering Germany from member states of the European Union or from Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Iceland. However, under the ordinance governing entry during the coronavirus pandemic (Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung), travellers are required to complete digital registration on entry, to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, proof of vaccination or proof of recovery from COVID-19; and to comply with the the quarantine regulations depending on the risk status of the country of departure.
Please double-check what is accepted as proof of vaccination, proof of a negative COVID-19 test result and proof of recovery from COVID-19 as the requirements might differ from what you expect. For example, Germany currently only accepts a proof of recovery within 90 days after the positive test result. For an overview see the following link.
In principle, entry is possible from:
- EU member states
- states associated with Schengen: Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein
- other countries from which entry is possible in light of the epidemiological situation assessment by the EU.
Entry from any other country for any purpose (including visits and tourism) is only possible for fully vaccinated people. What this means is that a traveller from a country where entry is restricted cannot travel even if they show a negative test or have a proof of recovery from COVID-19. They can only travel if they have a valid vaccination. The traveller must have received the last vaccination dose that is necessary for full vaccination at least 14 days before the date of travel, and the vaccine the person has received must be among those listed on the website of the Paul Ehrlich Institute. Children under 12 can travel unvaccinated as long as they have a parent who is vaccinated travelling with them.
For people not yet vaccinated entry from other countries is only possible in exceptional cases and is conditional on there being an urgent need. More Information is available on the website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
Travel bans from countries affected by coronavirus variants
A travel ban is in place for countries with widespread occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 virus variants of concern (referred to as areas of variant of concern). Transport companies, e.g. air carriers and railway companies, may not transport any persons from these countries to Germany. There are only a few, strictly defined exceptions to this travel ban, namely for:
- German citizens and persons who are resident in Germany with a current right to reside in the country, as well as their spouses, partners (if entering Germany from outside the EU or the United Kingdom / Northern Ireland: only partners living in the same household) and minor children
- persons catching a connecting flight who do not leave the transit zone of a passenger airport
- few other special cases
Persons qualifying for these exceptions must nevertheless complete a digital entry registration before entering the country, undergo mandatory testing or provide proof of immunity, and comply with the applicable quarantine regulations for travellers entering the country. Further information is provided below.
Travellers can find more information about the travel ban on the website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community (BMI), the website of the Federal Ministry of Health and this information leaftlet.
As of current writing there are no “areas of variant concern” this however may quite quickly change between now and the conference. It is worth checking the following link for the up to date list of areas of concern and risk, it is updated weekly on Fridays. The website of the Robert Koch Institute also keeps an up to date list of countries that are either at risk or areas of variant concern.
Quarantine Requirements
Under the Ordinance on Coronavirus Entry Regulations, persons entering Germany following a stay in a high-risk area or area of variant of concern in the last ten days must:
- proceed directly to their destination following entry and
- self-isolate there (quarantine). After a stay in a high-risk area travellers must self-isolate for 10 days, after a stay in an area of variant of concern for 14 days.
During this quarantine, travellers may not leave the house or flat or receive guests.
Quarantine ends automatically if the relevant country is no longer classified as a high risk area or area of variant of concern.
Exemptions from the requirement to quarantine apply to persons who:
- have merely passed through a high-risk area (not an area of variant of concern) without a stopover,
- are only passing through Germany and leaving the country via the fastest route available,
- in the case of border traffic from high-risk areas (but not areas of variant of concern): persons who have spent less than 24 hours in a risk area or are only entering Germany for a period of up to 24 hours,
- are cross-border commuters and border crossers as specified on the website of the Federal Ministry of Health from a high-risk area, or
- are cross-border commuters and border crossers as specified on the website of the Federal Ministry of Health from an area of variant of concern with the proviso that the work they carry out is urgently required and critical to maintaining operational procedures.
In addition, for high-risk areas (but not areas of variant of concern) the following applies:
The requirement to quarantine applies to arrivals from high-risk areas until proof of full vaccination, recovery from an infection or a negative test result is submitted via the entry portal of the Federal Republic of Germany (www.einreiseanmeldung.de). Please use the individual link you were provided in your registration confirmation (PDF document) to upload your proof.
The quarantine period may be ended on the basis of a negative test carried out no earlier than five days after entry. For persons who have been vaccinated or recovered from an infection and arrive from a high-risk area, mandatory quarantine ends immediately after submitting proof of vaccination or proof of recovery.
For children under the age of six quarantine ends automatically after 5 instead of 10 days.
For areas of variant of concern the following applies:
Quarantine period cannot be shortened. However, if the area of departure is reclassified as a high-Risk area during the quarantine, the regulations for high-risk areas apply. In this case the quarantine may end early as explained above.
More information is available on the website of the Federal Ministry of Health and this Information leaflet.
What can visitors expect?
Restrictions across Germany vary between the country's 16 states, although vaccinated people tend to be exempted from restrictions. You can find links to each state's regulations on this government page. The information for the Baden-Wüttemberg region where the conference takes place can be found here. This will have the most up to date information regarding local requirements.The University of Freiburg also has its own writeup which can be found here.
Mouth and nose must be covered aboard any public transport, in stores and busy outdoor places, where the minimum distance to others cannot be kept at all times. Masks must fulfil the requirements of FFP2.
If travellers develop symptoms associated with COVID-19 (coughing, a runny nose, sore throat or fever) they should get in touch by phone with a doctor or contact the hotline 116 117. Often travel guides or hotels can also help in such cases. Travellers should keep the contact details of their home country’s embassy or consulate in Germany in case they need to contact them.
To facilitate tracking of CoronaVirus spread it is recommended users download the Corona-Warn-App to their mobile phone. The App informs you anonymously and quickly if you have spent time in the vicinity of an infected person. The sooner you know this, the lower the risk that many more people become infected – whether during your trip or in your immediate environment. The Corona-Warn-App can be downloaded for free from the App Store and from Google Play.
Extensive information in English and other languages on current regulations is available here.
A overview on what to do to help protect yourself and others is available here: Coronavirus – Informationen and practical advice.