1. Entry Restrictions

International travel to Germany is currently restricted, except for the following:

• Nationals of EEA Member States, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and their family members (with proof of relationship);
• Passengers holding a residence permit or long-term visas issued by an EU Member State and their family members (with proof of relationship);
• Passengers arriving from EEA Member States, Switzerland and the United Kingdom;
• Passengers holding a visa issued by Germany after 17 March 2020;
• Residents of Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and Uruguay, provided that they have resided in their country of residence for at least 6 months;
• Students enrolled in academic institutions for a duration of at least 6 months, certain language courses, internships, au-pairs (and who cannot complete their studies from outside Germany);
• Unmarried partners of nationals and residents of Germany, provided they hold proof of their relationship and a written invitation by the partner in Germany;
• Highly-Skilled Workers whose presence in Germany is required on economic grounds and cannot be postponed, including the following (evidence has to be provided in the form of an employment contract and a statement by the employer/host entity in Germany):
  • Highly Skilled Migrants (§§ 18 Abs. 3, 18a, 18b AufenthG);
  • Scientists/Researchers (§ 18d 18e,18f AufenthG, 19c Abs. 1 i.V.m. § 5 BeschV))
  • Assignments/Secondments (§ 19 Abs. 1 i.V.m. § 10 BeschV);
  • Intra-Company Transferees who are manager/executives or possess specialized knowledge (§§ 19 Abs. 2, 19b AufenthG);
  • Managers/Executives; (§ 19c Abs. 1 i.V.m. § 3 BeschV);
  • IT Specialists (§19c Abs. 2 AufenthG iVm §6 BeschV);
  • Professional athletes (§ 22 Nr. 4 BeschV);
  • Health care professionals;
  • Business travelers whose presence is urgently require and essential (a declaration (German English) attesting to the critical nature of the travel must be provided by the host entity in Germany)
  • Employment that is of special interest to the German public (§ 19c Abs. 3 AufenthG)
  • Employees coming to Germany to carry out services under a service contract (§ 19c Abs. 1 i.V.m. § 29 Abs. 1 BeschV);
• Artists, journalists and employees in the media/movie industry;
• Personnel engaged in the transport of goods;
• Immediate family members of third country national who travel to Germany together for the first time to establish residency in Germany;
• Passengers in transit.

Flights to Germany from South Africa and the United Kingdom have been suspended until at least 31 December 2020.

All travelers to Germany must also register online at www.einreiseanmeldung.de, especially if they stayed in a risk area within the last 10 days prior to their entry to Germany. They must present proof of this registration when entering Germany.

Though not required, it is recommended that all travelers coming to Germany from a risk area present a medical certificate showing a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to arrival in Germany. Passengers arriving in Germany without a medical certificate showing a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 48 hours prior to arrival in Germany are subject to undergoing a COVID-19 PCR test at the time of arrival.

2. Quarantine/Self-Isolation Requirements

All travelers who enter Germany having spent time in a risk area up to 10 days before their arrival is obliged to proceed directly to their own home or other suitable accommodation and self-isolate there for 10 days.

The exact conditions and requirements of the quarantine are monitored and administered by the local health office of the traveler’s place of visit/residence in Germany. For example, passengers in transit will generally be exempt from the quarantine requirement.

Depending on the local health office, the quarantine may end after 5 days if a COVID-19 test is carried out on the fifth day after arrival in Germany and this test is negative.

Please note that this page is updated on an ongoing basis, but COVID-19 related restrictions and policies are subject to frequent and sudden change, often with little to no advance notice to the public. Therefore, to ensure that you have the latest updates, we recommend that you reach out to T&S at emea@tandslaw.com for additional information.