Deutsche Welle (English edition)
European travel restrictions: Nonessential travel curbed
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many countries worldwide continue to restrict entry and most travel remains discouraged. DW Travel offers a brief recap of what rules apply in the EU — and how to get the latest info.
The European Union
Several European Union nations, are extending or re-imposing lockdown measures ― and with it travel and entry requirements ― as a third wave of the pandemic sweeps the continent, fueled by contagious new variants of the coronavirus ― particularly the B117 mutation first discovered in Britain, which is spreading rapidly in at least 27 European countries and, according to the World Health Organization, now dominates in Germany, Italy, Denmark, Ireland, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. Since January EU leaders have been discussing restricting nonessential trips across the bloc's internal borders to contain the spread of the coronavirus, after mutant strains emerged from the UK, South Africa and Brazil. Since January 24, anybody arriving from outside the EU — possible only for those with essential reasons — would have to have a test for COVID-19 before departure. To combat the virulent UK strain, the EU has already blocked all but freight or travelers on essential trips from entering the bloc from Britain.
Detailed information is available on the European Commission website.
Complete information and resources for each of the individual 27 EU member states is also available on the EU's Reopen EU website.
However, each EU country maintains its own standards for deciding whether and how citizens of third countries may enter if they are already in an EU or Schengen country. Each EU member state also decides and implements its own further measures to curb the spread of the pandemic, such as quarantines upon entry from another region or country. Local regulations also differ widely on various social distancing measures, curfews and mask-wearing requirements.
Understanding the EU coronavirus traffic light system
In order to provide travelers in Europe with a better overview of the corona infection situation and possible restrictions, the EU has introduced a coronavirus traffic light system . According to this, the EU is divided into green, orange and red zones. In addition, there is the color gray for regions from which not enough data are available. Currently, the color red dominates the continent.
If you still have to travel, the EU Commission's Re-open EU App can also help. It provides up-to-date information on the health situation, safety precautions, and travel restrictions for all EU countries and the members of the border-free Schengen area, which includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
Please note: The information listed here is not exhaustive, serves as a reference only and is subject to change at any time. All travelers to and within Europe, the EU and the Schengen Area are strongly advised to keep informed with the official guidance and regulations of local, state and national authorities of the relevant countries.
Will vaccinations make vacations possible again?
On February 25, the EU decided to introduce a uniform vaccination certificate for travelers by the summer. Especially traditional vacation countries like Greece are pinning high hopes on the vaccination cards. The Greek and Cypriot governments have also already concluded a bilateral agreement with Israel, according to which from April all Israeli nationals will be able to enter the coun
try without any problems if they show Israel's recently-introduced "green pass," which provides proof that the bearer has been vaccinated. Malta is also in talks to this effect with Israel.
Sweden and Denmark have announced the creation of electronic vaccination certificates, which will be used primarily when traveling abroad. In Estonia, on the other hand, entrants are already exempt from the general quarantine requirement if they present proof of vaccination. The same applies in Poland, where an app is being developed specifically for this purpose.
Europe's five most-visited countries: Germany, France, UK, Italy, and Spain
Germany, along with France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom, is among the world's 10 most-visited countries, according to the UN World Tourism Organization. Travel to France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom remain heavily restricted. Germany
The nationwide measures to curb the coronavirus have been extended until April 18, 2021. The German government is appealing urgently to all citizens to refrain from nonessential travel within the country and also abroad.
From March 30, anyone entering Germany by airplane needs to take a coronavirus test in advance. Only those with a negative test will be allowed to fly into the country. The rule applies irrespective of the pandemic status in the country of departure.Coinciding with increased testing Germany also announced tighter border controls for the next two weeks. The Interior Ministry said anyone crossing the border into Germany should expect to be checked.
Tourism in Germany remains prohibited for the time being. Hotels are not allowed to offer overnight stays for tourist purposes, tourist visas are only granted in exceptional cases. Travel within the country is only possible for certain essential reasons, for example business trips, and is made more difficult by ever-changing regulations that must be observed. In places with a particularly high incidence (more than 200 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within a week), the radius of movement is restricted to 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) around the place of residence. Thus, anyone considering or planning travel over 15 kilometers away from home must keep apprised of the regulations in effect in the destination area.
Throughout Germany a lockdown has been in effect since mid-December and will remain until at least April 18. This means that restaurants are closed as well as theater and concert stages and recreational facilities. In addition, distance and hygiene rules apply. Medical masks — surgical masks or FFP2 respirators, which also protect the wearer — must be worn in stores and on buses and trains, and simple fabric masks are no longer sufficient. No more than five adults from two households are allowed to meet. Nighttime exit restrictions also apply in some states.
Airlines want to test returnees themselves
Amid concern over the rise in Germans traveling abroad on holidays, authorities also agreed on a blanket requirement for air travelers to be tested for COVID-19 before boarding a flight to Germany.
German airlines say they intend to carry out coronavirus tests on returnees from the popular holiday destination of Mallorca, Spain. Airlines TUI, Condor, Eurowings and Lufthansa, announced the plan to carry out tests on the island. Suitable locations are now being sought, as up to 40,000 returnees are expected at Easter. The German government recently removed Mallorca from the list of risk areas and lifted the travel warning due to a sharp drop in infection numbers. This also re
moved the testing and quarantine requirements for returnees —which led to a boom in bookings. .
Entry conditions from highrisk areas
Germany has instituted a new classification system that divides geographical regions into risk areas, high-incidence areas and virus variant areas. Arrivals from high-risk areas must register o n l i n e a t www.einreiseanmeldung.de.
A COVID test must be done within 48 hours and an immediate ten-day quarantine is required regardless of the test result — which can be terminated with another negative test on the fifth day at the earliest. PCR, LAMP, TMA, and rapid antigen tests are accepted. Antibody tests are not accepted.
Classification into high-incidence and virus-variant areas brings new rules. Since January 24, states that exceed an incidence value of 200 have been considered high-incidence areas. More than 20 states have already been classified as such, a large proportion of them in Europe, including Poland, Estonia, Montenegro and Hungary.
People entering the country from high-incidence areas must present a negative test result before they can even enter the country. Only then are they allowed to board an aircraft. The same applies to buses, trains and ferries. Regardless of the test result, a ten-day mandatory quarantine period applies in Germany.
As of January 30 a transportation ban has been in effect for all flights, trains, buses and ships from countries where the new variants of the coronavirus have spread. The countries impacted by the ban include Brazil, South Africa, and parts of France and Austria. The restrictions are currently set to run until March 31.