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 country 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 removed 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 online at 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.

There are several exceptions to the travel restrictions, including: people who have the right to reside in Germany and those who are transporting goods, as well as urgent medical transports and travel due to "urgent humanitarian reasons."

In addition, there are the quarantine rules set individually by the 16 German states. Travelers are therefore well advised to inform themselves accordingly.

Read more: FAQs for travelers to Germany during the pandemic

France

The world's top tourism destination country by arrivals, France has banned all travel with countries outside the European Union, due to a continuously high infection rate and new mutations of the coronavirus. Exceptions will only be made for a good reason. Complete information is available on the French Foreign Ministry website. France has reintroduced border controls until at least end of April 2021 and travelers from European countries over the age of 11 must provide proof of a negative PCR test, which must not be older than 72 hours. There are exceptions for those who live in border areas and those transporting goods.

The situation in France has worsened, which is why the country is considered a high-incidence area. The number of daily cases in France has almost doubled since the beginning of March, with more than 200,000 new cases every week. The Moselle department, which borders the German states of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate, is considered a virus variant area because the highly contagious South African variant of the virus is spreading there.

During the month of April, restrictions apply to the whole of France and not merely to individual regions. Restrictions on movement apply throughout the country ― for example, people are not allowed to travel further than 10 kilometers from their home unless they have an essential reason. Checks at train stations, airports and toll-paying motorways began at the end of March, to enforce the regional travel restrictions. All of France is at a standstill: cultural institutions, landmarks, bars, cafes and restaurants are closed. For the first time in the current school year, schools also remain closed. All retail is closed other than shops selling essentials. In general, freedom of movement in France is considerably restricted as inter-regional travel is prohibited. Across the country, a nighttime curfew is in effect from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. People are then only allowed to leave the house with a valid reason — simple walks, shopping or sports are not included.

United Kingdom

In order to prevent the spread of new coronavirus variants, the UK from February, 15 obliges entrants from countries on its "red list" of high-risk countries to quarantine in hotels for ten days. The countries affected are those classified by Great Britain as virus-variant areas, such as South Africa, all South American countries, and the United Arab Emirates. The arrivals must book a 10-day stay from an approved list of hotels where they have to remain in their room and are provided with three meals a day. Security teams at the hotels monitor compliance. Passengers have to pay for their own stay in isolation.

Travel for tourist purposes is not permitted in and to Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In principle, people travelling to the UK must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR, LAMP or antigen test) before setting off.

This may be taken up to three days before their journey begins. This regulation applies to England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. All travelers entering the UK, regardless of departure country or nationality, must complete a passenger locator form.

The British mainland is easing lockdown-measures with the goal of ending all restrictions on public life by June 21. Since what was dubbed "Happy Monday" (March 29) by the British media, Britons have been able to gather outdoors in groups of up to six people. The "stay at home" rule was also relaxed, but the government advises caution and asks that people continue to work from home if possible. Non-essential businesses are closed. However, on April 12, stores, hairdressers, beauty salons and outdoor catering in pubs and restaurants are to reopen.

In principle, it is mandatory wear a face mask on public transport, cabs and supermarkets. Travel within the country and abroad remains prohibited unless there are valid reasons. But here, too, there are plans for relaxation: In England, a traffic light system is reportedly to be introduced in the next few months, setting out the rules for travel abroad. For example, red-rated countries will continue to be subject to a travel ban, while people will be able to travel to green countries without restrictions. For travel to yellowrated countries, strict testing and quarantine rules are likely to continue to apply. According to current plans, mid-May is the earliest date for a change to the current regulation.

Italy

The country has extended its state of emergency until April 30, and entry from abroad remains heavily restricted. Complete information is available at the Italian Foreign Ministry website. Entry from most of Europe is allowed in principle but persons arriving from these countries must provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours upon entry, undergo a five-day quarantine, and present another negative test after five days. They also have to report to the local health authorities on arrival and fill in a self-declaration form. Arrivals from the United Kingdom (other than Italian residents) are banned indefinitely, and nobody (other than Italian residents) who has been in or transited through Brazil in the last 14 days may enter Italy. In addition, flights to and from Brazil have been banned.

Italy has returned to the color-coded system of Covid-19 restrictions on April 6, after a nationwide Easter red zone lockdown, with the country now divided again between high-risk red and medium-risk orange zones.

There are currently 10 regions classified as orange zones: Abruzzo, Basilicata, Lazio, Liguria, Marche, Molise, Sicily, Sardinia, Umbria and Veneto, as well as the autonomous provinces of Bolzano and Trento. The red zones are Lombardy , Tuscany, Emilia Romagna, Calabria, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Piemonte, Puglia, Valle d'Aosta and Campania. Here schools, shops and restaurants are and residents are required to stay at home except for work, for essential errands or health reasons.

Travel between regions is prohibited and there are restrictions even within regions. A daily curfew is in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. remains in effect for all of Italy.

Spain

The country permits unrestricted entry from the EU, the Schengen Area and a small list of third countries. The country's official tourism website

provides complete information and resources. On February 4, Spain introduced restrictions on inbound flights from Brazil and South Africa in a bid to stop the spread of new strains of the coronavirus detected in those countries.

Spain has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. A state of alert and an overnight nationwide curfew is in effect throughout the country until May 9, although precise restrictions vary in each of the country's 17 autonomous communities (regions). As a result, different rules apply throughout the country. Restaurants are mostly allowed to either sell only outside or serve only outside. Many health clubs are closed, and theaters, concert halls and movie theaters are allowed to occupy only a fraction of their seats, if at all. Individual coronavirus hotspots are completely sealed off.

Find more information here.

Recent travel restrictions in selected countries across the EU

Austria

Austria has tightened border controls with all neighboring countries to contain the spread of the virus. Every traveler trying to cross the border has to present a negative coronavirus test; there will no longer be exceptions. In general, digital registration has been mandatory since January 15, with the exception of regular commuters and transit travelers.

The German government has declared the whole of Austria a risk area, with the exception of the Kleinwalsertal valley and the municipality of Jungholz, with a combined population of just over 5,000. Both exclaves can only be reached by road from Germany. In the provinces of Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland, additional restrictions apply from April 1, such as an all-day curfew and a closure of retail outlets with the exception of stores for daily needs.

In the rest of Austria there has been an easing of coronavirus restrictions domestically, with schools, museums and stores reopening. Visitors and

customers must wear medical masks, and a negative COVID-19 test is required for visits to hairdressers. Meetings of people from more than two households are also allowed again. The nighttime curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. remains unchanged.

Find more information here. The Netherlands

The Dutch government "strongly advises" against all travel to the country unless it is strictly necessary. People traveling to the Netherlands not only need a negative result of a PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival in Holland, but also need a negative result of an antigen rapid test, or LAMP (loop mediated isothermal amplification) test taken within 4 hours before departure to the Netherlands. Furthermore, all travelers are expected to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in Holland. After five days of quarantine, you can choose to get tested for coronavirus. If you test negative, the quarantine is lifted.

Find more information here . All coronavirus lockdown measures have been extended for the time being until April 20. A nationwide curfew from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. is in effect. The sale of alcohol and soft drugs is also banned in the Netherlands between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., as is their consumption in public. Coffee shops have to close at 8 p.m. Schools, most stores and restaurants are closed. Private contacts are limited to one person outside one's household.

Cinemas, theaters and museums are closed; only stores for daily needs are open. From March 3, a slight easing of restrictions has been introduced, allowing hairdressers, beauticians and masseurs to work again and non-food stores to receive customers by appointment.

Belgium

Travel to Belgium is prohibited, except for essential reasons. People traveling to and from Belgium will have to provide a valid reason — such as family duties, work or studies — to be allowed to cross Belgian borders. Arrivals travelling by plane, train, bus or boat and staying for more than 2 days, have to provide a negative PCR test less than 48 hours old before arriving. A Passenger Location Form (PLF) must also be completed 48 hours before arrival.

Belgium has closed all businesses involving non-medical physical contact such as hairdressers for four weeks from March 27. Shops offering "nonessential" services can only receive clients with appointments. Find more information here. Portugal

The situation in Portugal has improved considerably. Only the island of Madeira is still classified as a risk area. Non-essential tourist travel to the remaining regions, including the Azores, is still not advisable. The tightened Portuguese border restrictions with other European Union member states remain in place. People coming from EU countries where the incidence rate is over 500 cases per 100,000 population may only enter for essential business and submit to a 14-day quarantine. Travelers from EU countries where the incidence rate is greater than 150 per 100,000 are allowed only for essential trips but do not need to observe a quarantine. All passengers, whether by land or air, must present a negative PCR test carried out over the previous 72 hours. Those who have not undertaken one will have to have one done at the airport, at their own expense.

Flights from Brazil and the United Kingdom continue to be suspended except for repatriation flights. At the land border with Spain controls continue and at ports and airports, checks have also been tightened. Exceptions apply to people traveling to work, returning to their primary residence or traveling on business, for the transport of goods, and for medical emergencies or humanitarian aid.

Once in the country, travelers are expected to abide by the same COVID-19 restrictions as citizens. Currently, travel is prohibited between the various areas of the country. The measures are to last until at least April 16.

Portugal has been under a state of emergency since November 9, 2020. The situation is reassessed every 15 days and appropriate measures are taken. It currently remains in force until April 15. The government has set a roadmap for easing restrictions that is to be adjusted depending on how the pandemic situation unfolds. For example, shops up to 200 square meters large and cultural institutions such as museums, monuments, palaces and galleries reopened on April 5. Up to four people are allowed to exercise outside together. Cinemas and theaters are scheduled to open on April 19. Shops and shopping centers will also be allowed to receive customers, and restaurants, cafes and bakeries will be able to open until 10 p.m. during the week, and until 1 p.m. on weekends and holidays. The next steps are planned for May 3. Then restaurants will be allowed to open without time restrictions.

Find more information here. Greece

Greece is severely affected by COVID-19, which is why the entire country is classified as a risk area. Entry requirements to Greece include a mandatory online registration and a negative PCR test no more than 72 hours old. All persons entering Greece must undergo a sevenday domestic quarantine.

The Greek government has ordered a lockdown for the entire country, which has been extended until the end of March. Greece is being divided into yellow and red areas according to the infection rates which can be adjusted at short notice. Measures such as the general curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. (on weekends from 7 p.m.) may vary in red areas. As a result of the lockdown, travelling by boat, train, bus, or airplane across the country is also prohibited until further noticeVisit Greece provides a summary of all the important information. In general, during the day people are currently only allowed to leave their homes for a valid reason. Masks are mandatory throughout the country, including outdoors. Greece is also distributing free do-it-yourself COVID-19 tests. Since April 5, stores have been allowed to reopen in large parts of Greece, except for the northern Greek cities of Thessaloniki, Kozani and the city of Patras on the Peloponnese peninsula. The opening of stores is subject to strict conditions.

Find more information here. Ireland

The situation in Ireland was particularly dramatic at the beginning of the year. For a time, the Republic had the highest number of new infections per capita in the world. After a temporary easing of the nationwide lockdown before Christmas, the infection figures there, fueled by the highly contagious COVID-19 variant, rose unchecked. In the meantime, the situation has eased but the infection rates remain at a high level and severe restrictions remain in place.

Ireland is currently under a national lockdown. The Irish government advises against all but essential travel. Anyone entering Ireland must present a negative PCR test no more than 72 hours old. In addition, all entrants, including Irish citizens and residents, are required to severely restrict their movements for 14 days after entry. Public transport capacity is reduced to 25%, and at peak times, use of public transport is reserved for essential workers. Travel outside a five-kilometer radius of residence and between counties is to be avoided. The wearing of masks is compulsory in stores and on public transport, with fines of up to €2,500 for noncompliance.

Find more information here .

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