Germany: COVID-19 Entry Requirements For Travelers

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Last Updated 7 months ago

With its rich history, colorful architecture, castles, mountains, delicious food and beer, its no wonder why Germany continues to be one of the top destinations for international travelers in the world. 

Germany has reopened its doors for tourism and is hoping to revitalize its economy after being shut down due to the pandemic. On May 13, 2021, the German government even announced that tourists can avoid the 10-day quarantine if they can prove they are fully vaccinated, recently recovered, or have a negative 72-hour PCR test.

Here are all the COVID-19 entry requirements for Germany in 2021 that travelers need to know before booking.

Countries Permitted To Visit Germany For Tourism

Residents of the following countries may enter Germany without restrictions

(updated December 4, 2021):

• ALL EU nations
• ALL Schengen-area nations
• Argentina
• Australia
• Bahrain
• Canada
• Chile
• China – as soon as the possibility of mutual entry is confirmed
• Colombia
• Hong Kong
• Indonesia
• Kuwait
• Macao
• New Zealand
• Peru
• Qatar
• Rwanda
• Saudi Arabia
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• United Arab Emirates
• Uruguay

Visitors from countries NOT listed above can only visit Germany if they are fully vaccinated.

Unvaccinated travelers from all other countries may be eligible to enter Germany if they have an imperative need for doing so. 

Further, save for very special cases, travelers coming from the following countries are currently banned due to fears of the Omicron virus:

• Botswana
• Eswatini
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• South Africa
• Zimbabwe

COVID-19 Testing Entry Requirements

Travelers may need to test and/or quarantine, depending on the risk level the country they are travelling from is currently categorized as.

Germany categorizes countries as low-risk, high-risk, or virus variant areas. The list of which country is in which category is available here

Low-risk: No test or quarantine required.

High-Risk: A 72-hour PCR or 48-hour Antigen test required. A 10-day quarantine is also required with an option to ‘test-to-release’ on the 5th day. Proof of recovery or proof of vaccination will exempt from testing/quarantines.

Virus Variant Areas: A 72-hour PCR or 24-hour Antigen test is required, plus a 14-day quarantine.

Digital Entry Form

The Digital Registration Upon Entry system should be used by ALL passengers into Germany coming from a high-risk nation.  

COVID-19 Travel Insurance Entry Requirements 

All incoming travelers should have travel insurance the covers COVID-19 for the duration of their trip to Germany 

COVID-19 Health Requirements While in Germany 

All visitors must follow COVID-19 health requirements while in Germany:

• Wearing a medical mask (surgical masks, KN95, FFP2 masks) in all indoor public spaces and public transportation 
• Social distancing rule of 1.5 meters at all times

COVID-19 Vaccine Entry Requirements 

Visitors from approved nations can enter Germany without a vaccine.

Travelers to Germany who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer need to test on arrival or quarantine unless coming from a high-risk area or an area where variants of concern are prevalent (like Jordan, Turkey, South Africa, etc)

The big 4 vaccines are recognized by Germany and 14-days must have elapsed since the last/final dose of the vaccine.

Update: Starting Dec 1, 2021, at least a two-week quarantine for unvaccinated persons is in effect. 

Visa Entry Requirements For Germany During COVID-19

All travelers arriving in Germany will still need to follow German visa requirements. 

180 countries are able to visit Germany for a period of up to 90 days without a visa. Use this government chart to see if your country requires a visa for entry.

Travelers that require a visa must submit an application, together with all necessary documents, in person at the German embassy/consulate in their home country.

Germany Covid-19 Entry Requirements:

1. Check if your country is on the approved list to visit Germany 
2. Check if your country requires a visa to visit Germany
3. Check to see your risk level and if you need a test  
4. Use the Digital Registration for Entry online form/system to determine if you must quarantine for 10-days 
5. Follow all German health protocols for the duration of your trip.

Read More: 

Countries reopen for Vaccinated Tourists

All Countries Reopening For Tourism

Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19

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Disclaimer: Current travel rules and restrictions can change without notice. The decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling.  Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories

Sources: German Federal Foreign Office/German Federal Ministry

Disclaimer: Current Germany travel rules are changing without notice and being updated constantly. We do our best to keep this article up to date with all the latest information, but the decision to travel is ultimately your responsibility. Contact your consulate and/or local authorities to confirm your nationality’s entry and/or any changes to travel requirements before traveling.  Travel Off Path does not endorse traveling against government advisories

Article originally published August 21, 2020 with updates for 2021