Germany Removes All Entry Requirements For Summer

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Last Updated 3 years ago

*Important update since publishing on May 26 – Last minute on June 1, Germany decided to change their mind on completely removing entry requirements and continued asking for proof of vaccination from all third-party travelers for entry, until June 11. On June 11, the entry rules were fully removed.

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Germany has become the latest European nation to remove all COVID-19 entry requirements from June 1, 2022. According to the German health minister, the removal of restrictions will be in place until the end of August.

Health Minister, Karl Lauterbach, said: “Until the end of August, we will suspend the 3G rule on entry.”

However, it’s not clear what will happen after August; this likely depends on the COVID-19 situation in Germany over the summer. 

The New Entry Requirements 

Germany is removing all COVID-19 restrictions for the summer months from June 1, 2022. As a result, travelers won’t need to:

• Undergo mandatory quarantine
• Have proof of vaccination
• Test before or after arrival
• Complete passenger locator forms

With that said, Germany is keeping restrictions on ‘high-risk’ countries with suspicious variants. Currently, there are no nations on Germany’s high-risk list. Therefore, all nations—as of June 1, 2022—will face no restrictions upon entry. Of course, this could change over the summer if the pandemic situation changes. 

Until June 1, 2022, the current travel restrictions will stay in place. These include showing proof of vaccination, proof of recovery, or a negative COVID-19 test before arrival. If travelers have received the booster shot, Germany considers them fully vaccinated. Germany doesn’t have an expiry date on the booster shot. 

If travelers haven’t received the booster shot but received their last vaccine dose under 270 days ago, Germany considers them fully vaccinated. 

Travelers who aren’t fully vaccinated can’t enter Germany unless they are a German citizen, the spouse/partner/child under 18 of a German citizen, or have an urgent need to travel.

These restrictions will end on June 1. 

What Happens After August? 

The biggest many travelers will ask is what happens after the summer? In truth, it remains completely unclear. 

So, travelers looking to visit Germany later in the year should perhaps hold off from booking until rules are clear after September. Although it’s unlikely that Germany will shift the COVID-19 rules significantly, they may reintroduce mandatory proof of vaccination for entry, etc. 

The Current Internal COVID-19 Restrictions In Germany 

Although many nations are dropping their COVID-19 entry requirements, they aren’t dropping their internal restrictions just yet. 

Germany is different; they’ve ended most internal COVID-19 restrictions. However, travelers still need to wear medical-grade masks—usually FFP-2 masks—on public transport and in healthcare settings. 

Different German states can enforce their own COVID-19 rules depending on the situation. If travelers test positive for COVID-19 in Germany, they should self-isolate.

Travelers may only leave their homes and interrupt their self-isolation to complete a PCR test. So—unlike many European nations—Germany still requires people with COVID-19 to self-isolate. However, the mandatory self-isolation period is only 5 days. 

The current 7-day case average in Germany is 35,662; that’s a significant decrease from the 7-day case average of 221,638 on March 30, 2022. Germany has witnessed 26.2 million COVID-19 infections since the pandemic started. 

Other European Nations Who’ve Removed All COVID-19 Restrictions 

If Americans are looking to travel to Europe this summer and don’t want any travel restrictions, they have plenty of options. These nations in Europe have removed all COVID-19 entry requirements:

• The United Kingdom 
• Ireland
• Denmark
• Sweden
• Norway
• Iceland
• Lithuania
• Latvia
• Poland
• Czechia
• Switzerland
• Liechtenstein 
• Gibraltar
• Madeira
• Slovenia
• Slovakia
• Hungary
• Croatia
• Serbia
• Romania
• Bulgaria
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• Kosovo
• Albania
• North Macedonia
• Greece

Internal COVID-19 restrictions may vary in these nations.

Final Thoughts 

Germany removing all travel restrictions this summer is excellent news for Americans, Canadians, and other non-EU travelers. If Americans are looking to book somewhere in Europe after summer, they should refer to the list above of countries that have taken a more permanent stance on ending covid-related restrictions, as Germany's appear to be more temporary.

Read More:

U.S. State Department Issues 12 New Travel Advisories

Travel Insurance That Covers Covid-19 For 2022

U.S. To Increase ESTA Fee For Incoming Tourists

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