The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland continues to be affected by COVID-19. There are more and more outbreaks of the delta variant. The number of new infections is rising sharply again. To prevent the delta variant from spreading further in Germany, the United Kingdom has been classified as an area of variant of concern with effect from 23 May 2021.

A warning is in place against non-essential travel to the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

New and/or tougher restrictions may be imposed at short notice due to ongoing developments.

The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have implemented their own different pandemic restrictions with different regional alert levels (“lockdown” or “tiers” or “protection levels” or “alert levels”).

These alert levels entail different restrictions on public life. You can find detailed information here: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Alderney, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

A national lockdown has been in place in England and Scotland since 5 January 2021, but a phased relaxation of measures is under way. The last step has been postponed from 21 June to 19 July due to rising new cases. Before travelling abroad, please check the applicable Covid-related restrictions. You can find detailed information on the website of the British government.

Hotels and self-catering accommodation are open to travellers in the UK. National long-distance trains and local public transport are in operation.

There are currently entry restrictions (online registration, Covid-19 test, quarantine) in place in the United Kingdom. National and regional restrictions may be imposed at short notice due to ongoing developments. Further information can be found here.

Travellers entering the United Kingdom are required to fill in a passenger locator form online no earlier than 48 hours before entry. Registration must be proven upon entry. For more information and access to the online form, please visit the British government website.

• Since 17 May different sets of entry restrictions apply for travellers entering England. Countries are categorised as either green, amber (currently incudes Germany) or red according to a traffic light system.
• Green: Online registration, test prior to entry, 1 further test before/on day 2, no quarantine
• Amber: Online registration, test prior to entry, 2 further tests before/on day 2 and on/after day 8 after entry, home quarantine for 10 days with option of test to release on day 5 after entry
• Red: Online registration, test prior to entry, 2 further tests before/on day 2 and on/after day 8 after entry, hotel quarantine for 10 days
• People who are fully vaccinated are not currently exempt from the above mandatory requirements.
• Similar entry restrictions apply in Scotland too since 17 May.
• Similar entry restrictions have been in place in Wales since 1 April and in Northern Ireland since 16 April.

• Since 6 April, all hauliers entering England are required to take a Covid-19 test after arrival if they are staying for more than 48 hours. They then have to take further tests every 72 hours.
  

• All travellers entering England from all countries with the exception of Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey must be able to show a negative result from a COVID-19 test which must not be older than 3 days before departure by aircraft, ferry and train, i.e. for example entry on Friday, test on Friday, Thursday, Wednesday and Tuesday possible. PCR, RT-LAMP and antigen tests (lateral flow tests) are accepted. The negative test confirmation in English, French or Spanish must be presented prior to travel. Further information can be found here.
• Proof of having had a Covid-19 vaccination does not exempt you from the abovementioned requirement to take a test prior to arrival.

Similar entry restrictions are in place for travellers entering Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Travellers in home quarantine in England have the opportunity to voluntarily take a chargeable Covid-19 test (test to release) at a licensed testing facility five full calendar days after entry (e.g. entry on Sunday, test on Friday at the earliest) and, if the test result is negative, they can end home quarantine early. They still also have to take a test on day 8 after arrival. This rule only applies to England, and not to people who have arrived from a country on the “red” list.

Anyone violating the registration and quarantine requirements may be fined.

Travellers from the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man are generally exempt from quarantine and do not need to submit the online form.

The Embassy cannot provide any individual information on Registration and quarantine requirements in the United Kingdom.

For any further enquiries, you can call the hotline of the British Government Monday-Friday: 0044 800 678 1767 (from Germany) or 0800 678 1767 (from the United Kingdom).

Since 17 May, England and Scotland are allowing foreign travel without a legal reason, i.e. tourist travel abroad is permitted again. However, there are various entry restrictions to be followed upon your return to the United Kingdom.

On 17 May Scotland reverted to a system of assigning each Scottish region a “COVID protection level” (levels 0-4), hence it is important to check before travelling whether the protection level for your area permits foreign travel. Information on this can be found here

The other nations have introduced a similar regulation.

Germany’s Robert Koch Institute has classified the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as an area of variant of concern with effect from 23 May. A ban on transportation and entry into Germany applies since 23 May. 

The transportation and entry ban does not apply to:

1. German citizens or persons with a domicile and right of residence in the Federal Republic of Germany and their spouses or partners from the same household, and minor children,

2. persons who are only transferring from one flight to another and remain in the airport transit area,

3. mail, freight and unladen carriers,

4. returning aircraft, ships and crews,

5. medical staff and other escort staff needed for air ambulance and organ transport flights,

6. persons travelling to Germany for urgent humanitarian reasons,

7. persons travelling by order of the EURATOM Safeguards, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations or a UN organisation,

8. members of a diplomatic mission abroad or a consular mission, whose appointment and arrival the Federal Foreign Office has been notified of, and their accompanying spouses, registered civil partners and minor children.

Please note:

• Since 30 March 2021, all travellers entering Germany by plane must present a negative COVID-19 test to their airline prior to departure. The test must have been taken no more than 24 hours (PCR test 72 hours) before arrival in Germany.
• PCR, LAMP, TMA and antigen tests are all accepted. Antigen tests must meet certain quality standards. More details can be found here. The German Federal Government has asked transportation companies only to transport travellers who can present proof of registration (with restriction) and of a negative test at the start of their journey. This also applies to travellers in transit and people arriving by land. All travellers entering Germany must quarantine at home for 14 days immediately on arrival. It is not possible to leave quarantine early.
• The testing and quarantine requirement also applies to those who have recovered or are fully vaccinated, as long as the UK is classified as an area of variant of concern.

*It is up to the Federal Police to decide what documents count as adequate evidence of residence. Airlines, too, often carry out strict checks on this at check-in. The following documents can be used as evidence of residence in Germany:

Residence registration certificates, confirmations of registration with a foreigners authority, especially in connection with the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, tenancy agreements, payslips from a German employer, tax statements, account statements, credit card statements, electricity bills, telephone/internet bills, Part I of a Registration Certificate (vehicle registration certificate) and similar documents. A single document is not normally sufficient. The more supporting documents you can present as proof, the better. We advise expressly that this list is not exhaustive.

Travellers from the United Kingdom should in principle travel directly to their country of destination.

Travellers from the United Kingdom are allowed to transit through Germany to reach a third country by plane, if they do not leave the airport transit area. This does not apply to transit in order to enter another EU member state or Schengen state. For example: a flight from London via Frankfurt to Vienna is not permitted. On the other hand, a journey from London via Frankfurt to Moscow is permitted.

Travelling through Germany by car is not generally allowed. 

The decision as to who is allowed to enter Germany is taken solely by the Federal Border Police. Should you have questions regarding your entry into Germany or should your transportation company refuse to acknowledge proof of your place of residency, then you can contact the Federal Border Police at your destination airport in Germany. Please use the below email addresses when possible. In spite of the very high volume of enquiries, the Federal Border Police endeavour to reply to enquiries within twelve hours. You should carry a printout of the reply from the Federal Border Police or ensure it is displayable on your mobile device.

Federal Border Police Hamburg Airport
E-Mail: bpolifh.ham@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Bremen Airport
E-Mail: bpolrfh.bre@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Hannover Airport
E-Mail: bpolifh.haj@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Berlin Brandenburg
E-Mail: bpoli.ber@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Düsseldorf Airport
E-Mail: bpolifh.dus@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Köln/Bonn Airport
E-Mail: bpolifh.cgn@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Erfurt-Weimar Airport
E-Mail bpoli.erfurt@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Leipzig/Halle Airport
E-Mail: bpoli.leipzig@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Dresden Airport
E-Mail: bpoli.dresden.fh-leitstelle@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Frankfurt am Main Airport
E-Mail: bpold.frankfurt@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Saarbrücken Airport
E-Mail: bpolr.scn@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Stuttgart Airport
E-Mail: bpolifh.str@polizei.bund.de

Federal Border Police Munich Airport
E-Mail: bpol.muc@polizei.bund.de

Since 9 June, new rules have been in effect for entering and transiting through France. In any case, a negative Covid-19 test is required. Either an antigen test not older than 48 hours before entry or a PCR test not older than 72 hours before entry). You can find detailed information on the French regulations here.

A general travel ban for flights and ferries from the UK to the Netherlands is in place. Only a few exceptions are permitted. More details here.

Travel through Belgium to other EU and Schengen countries is possible. Please refer to the travel and safety information for Belgium (in German only) and the information from the Belgian Embassy in London. All travellers must also register online prior to entry. If transit does not exceed 48 hours, proof of a negative Covid test and online registration are not required.

Before you travel, you must submit a digital registration form, if you have stayed in a risk area, high incidence area or area of variant of concern specified by the Robert Koch Institute in the previous ten days (even for a short time).

The Robert Koch Institute has classified the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as an area of variant of concern with effect from 23 May 2021. You can find a complete list of all risk areas at the Robert Koch Institute.

This is how the digital registration works:

On the website www.einreiseanmeldung.de you provide the information about your stays of the last ten days. After you have given all the necessary information in full, you will receive a PDF document as confirmation. Your airline, train or ferry company will check if you can present this document. If you cannot show it on request, you will not be allowed to travel. If, in exceptional cases, it is not possible to submit a digital registration form, you must fill out a replacement registration form instead.

Since 21 March people in the following categories are exempt from the obligation to register:

The following groups of people would be exempt from the obligation to register, however this does not apply to the United Kingdom at present:

• Those who have only travelled through a risk area and did not have a stopover there,
• Those who only enter the Federal Republic of Germany for transit purposes,

• Those who have crossed the border into a neighbouring risk area and stayed less than 24 hours or who have entered the Federal Republic of Germany from such an area and stayed no more than 24 hours,
  

• Those who travel to the Federal Republic of Germany for professional reasons in order to transport people or goods across borders by road, rail, ship or plane.

• Since 30 March 2021, all travellers entering Germany by plane must present a negative COVID-19 test to their airline prior to departure. The test must have been taken no more than 24 hours (PCR test 72 hours) before arrival in Germany. PCR, LAMP, TMA and antigen tests are all accepted. Antigen tests must meet certain quality standards. More details can be found here. The German Federal Government has asked transportation companies only to transport travellers who can present proof of registration and of a negative test at the start of their journey. This test requirement also applies to all other travellers.

The new Ordinance on Coronavirus Entry Regulations, in force since 13 May (updated on 9 June), regulates the quarantine requirements for Germany as a whole.

With effect from 23 May, it is mandatory for all travellers entering Germany from the United Kingdom to quarantine for 14 days. There are no exceptions and there is no option to end quarantine early by taking a Covid-19 test. It is not possible to leave quarantine early (before the 14 days are up).

If you have spent time in an area of variant of concern, such as currently the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, you must make your way directly to your home – or other place of accommodation at your destination – upon arrival and remain isolated there for a period of 14 days.

You can find additional information on the obligation to quarantine and exemptions here

You can find a complete list of all risk areas (including high incidence areas and areas of variants of concern) on the Robert Koch Institute website

During your quarantine, you are not allowed to leave the house or flat, or receive visitors. Don't forget: This measure is to protect your family, neighbours and everyone else around you. Violations of the quarantine rules can be punished with fines.

Questions on quarantine should be addressed to the relevant authorities (e.g. the local health department) at your destination. Links to the websites of the federal states can be found here:

A general overview can be found here

Questions and answers on proof of vaccination for entry into Germany can be found here

NHS vaccination certificates are recognised in Germany (but this does not currently apply to entry into Germany), if the vaccination was carried out with a vaccine approved in Germany.

Evidence of vaccination can be provided digitally (NHS app or NHS website) or as a printout (this can be requested from the NHS by calling 119).

However, a screenshot or photo is not sufficient.

A digital transfer of the data from the NHS app to the German CovPass app is not planned. A  manual transfer by a doctor or a pharmacy should be possible. However, the embassy has not yet received any information on this.

Proof of full vaccination protection for entry into the United Kingdom using the CovPass app or the yellow vaccination certificate is currently not possible.

Public life is Germany is subject to considerable, constantly changing restrictions. You can find the latest regulations here (in German).

Changes to the situation at short notice, as well as new and/ or tightened restrictions can be expected.

The rights of air passengers are established under the EU's air passenger rights regulation, which sets out the rules of compensation and assistance to passengers (eg. hotel accomodation or meals) by airlines in the event of denied boarding, cancellation or long delays.

The EU Commission has published the so-called Interpretative Guidelines to clarify how certain provisions of the EU passenger rights legislation apply.

In order to assert your claim, the European Consumer Centre (ECC) recommends following these steps:

• contact your airline
• keep a track record of your spending: keep your receipts covering the costs of hotels, taxi, meals that have occurred as a consequence of your flight delay, cancellation or denied boarding
• get written confirmation: get the ground crew of your airline to give you written confirmation of the flight delay, cancellation or denied boarding, preferably with specific details of the circumstances. If the ground crew refuses to draft the relevant piece in writing, get a fellow passenger to do so.
• screenshot of an online complaint: if you have filled in the online complaint form of the airline, take a screenshot just in case.
• extrajudicial settlement: if the airline refuses to fulfil the (legitimate) claims within 2 months, we recommend seeking extrajudicial settlement to begin with.

More information on the website of the German Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection here.

There are no additional pandemic-related restrictions.

Click here for Travelling with pets on travelling with pets.

We would ask German nationals in the United Kingdom to follow NHS advice.

• Anyone with a cough and/ or high temperature, and/ or loss of smell and taste, and/ or other sympotoms, should self-isolate themselves and anyone living in the same household for 10 days.
• If you require advice or medical treatment, we would ask you to contact the NHS 111 Online Coronavirus Service or call the NHS hotline on 111. The hotline is usually experiencing a high volume of calls. Please expect longer waiting time. The hotline is free of charge and can be used whether or not you are registered with the NHS and/ or live in the United Kingdom.
• If you suspect you may be infected with coronavirus, please do not visit the doctor’s surgery pharmacy or any other facility without telephoning in advance.

Registering on the German Foreign Office’s crisis prevention list enables you to receive important information, such as the current situation in your host country, travel restrictions, natural catastrophes or (relevant for developing countries or tourist destinations in which flight operations have ceased), notice of planned repatriation efforts.

Regardless of the Embassy’s communications, it is important to keep up-to-date through regular reading of the press or information from news programmes. Embassy communications do not take individual cases into account (such as flight cancellations). Affected persons should, in particular during times of crisis, stay abreast of current developments via the media, travel company/airline, airports and so on.