The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is being more severely affected by COVID-19 again. There are outbreaks of the highly infectious Delta variant in all parts of the country. The number of new infections is rising sharply again which is why the United Kingdom has been classified as an area with a particularly high infection risk (high-incidence area) with effect from 7 July 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.

Before travelling abroad, please check for possible coronavirus restrictions. You can find detailed information on the website of the British government.

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. No quarantine for anyone who has been fully vaccinated by the NHS in the United Kingdom, if their final jab was at least 14 days ago.

• Amber plus: Like amber, but no exemption from quarantine for people who are fully vaccinated
  

• 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.

Since 19 July, travellers resident in the United Kingdom who have been fully vaccinated by the NHS and whose vaccination was at least 14 days ago can enter the United Kingdom without having to go into quarantine, provided they have appropriate proof (e.g. on the NHS app). German or European vaccination certificates are not currently recognised for entry into the United Kingdom.

All others in home quarantine after arriving 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. However, a test to release is not possible if you have been in a country on the “red” list in the last 10 days.

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).

Germany’s Robert Koch Institute has classified the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a high-incidence area with effect from 7 July. A ban on transportation and entry into Germany that was in place until then has been lifted.

From that date, persons resident in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are again permitted to enter Germany for an important reason. Furthermore, persons who are fully vaccinated are permitted to enter Germany for any purpose. Transit through the country (including by car) is also permitted again.

The following are allowed to enter Germany:

• German citizens and members of their immediate family (spouses, unmarried minor-age children, parents of minor-age children)
• EU citizens and citizens of Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland and members of their immediate family (spouses, unmarried minor-age children, parents of minor-age children)
• Third-country nationals with an existing long-term right of residence in an EU or Schengen state and members of their immediate family, provided they meet the passport and visa requirements.

The following are also allowed to enter Germany:

Persons resident in other third countries may only enter Germany if they are serving in an important role, there is an urgent need to travel (see “What constitutes an urgent need to travel?”), or if they are fully vaccinated (see “What rules apply for fully vaccinated people?”).  A person is deemed resident in a country if they have either their domicile or their habitual residence there. A place constitutes a “domicile” if, in particular, you have spent the last 6 months there.

With regard to family members entering Germany, see also “What special conditions apply to entry into Germany by family members who are nationals of a third country?”.

Travellers must present a negative Covid-19 test, proof of having recovered from the virus, or proof of vaccination before entering the country. The test must have been taken no more than 48 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.

To enter the country using proof of vaccination, the traveller must have received the last vaccination dose that is necessary for full vaccination (in the case of a person who has recovered from coronavirus one dose is sufficient) at least 14 days before the date of travel, and the vaccine the person has received must be among those listed on the website of the Paul Ehrlich Institute).

Proof of recovery

Proof of having previously been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus must be in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish, can be in physical or digital form, and the test on which it is based must have been done in a laboratory using nucleic acid-based testing (PCR, PoC-PCR or other nucleic acid amplification methods), and must have been done no fewer than 28 days and no more than six months previously.

Anyone travelling with a travel operator (plane, coach or train) must present a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination prior to departure.

*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.

• Minor children of Germans, EU citizens and of those with a right of residence in Germany are generally allowed to enter, but require a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination or recovery in order to enter the country. Travellers have to go into quarantine for 10 days after entry, but can end this early with a vaccination or recovery certificate. Alternatively, travellers can end the quarantine early with a negative Covid-19 test on the fifth day after entry. Children who have not yet reached the age of six (i.e. younger than six) do not have to provide proof of entry, but must be quarantined 5 days after entry. There is no test on the fifth day. In addition, according to Section 6 of the Coronavirus Entry Ordinance, there are exceptions to the quarantine rules and obligation to register, e.g. when visiting relatives of the first and second degree. Since the local health authorities are responsible for monitoring the quarantine, it is advisable to contact them before your trip to Germany.
• Minors of third country nationals are allowed to enter Germany if they are fully vaccinated or if there is an urgent need to travel. Children who have not yet reached the age of twelve (i.e. who are younger than twelve), who are neither fully vaccinated nor have an urgent need to travel, are still allowed to travel with a fully vaccinated parent. However, you need a negative Covid-19 test. If they have not yet reached the age of six (i.e. younger than six), there is no obligation to provide evidence. After entering the country, they have to go into quarantine. However, they can end this prematurely by submitting a vaccination or health certificate. Alternatively, the quarantine can end early with a negative Covid-19 test on the fifth day after entry. Children who have not yet reached the age of six (i.e. younger than six) also have to go into quarantine. This ends automatically after 5 days after entry, i.e. without free testing.

Important: Minors between the ages of 12-18 are only allowed to enter if they have a compelling reason or if they have been fully vaccinated.

Please refer to the FAQs of the Federal Ministry of the Interior to find out what an urgent need can be and what other options there are.

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

However, transit through Germany to reach another EU member state or Schengen country is permitted, and third-country nationals are allowed to transit through Germany to reach a third country.

Transit by car through Germany is permitted.

The following rules apply.

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 18 July, new rules have been in effect for entering and transiting through France. In any case, a negative Covid-19 test (antigen or PCR) taken no more than 24 hours prior to entry is required. You can find detailed information on the French regulations here.

Travel from the UK to and through the Netherlands is possible subject to certain conditions. More details here. . The Embassy is not able to issue a Note Verbale or certificate for this for third-country nationals to present to the Dutch border authorities.

Travel through Belgium to other EU and Schengen countries is possible. Please refer to the travel and safety information for Belgium and the information from the Belgian Embassy in London.

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 ten days prior to your planned date of entry (even for a short time).

The Robert Koch Institute has classified the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as high-incidence area with effect from 7 July 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.

The following groups of people would be exempt from the obligation to register:

• 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.

Other exemptions can be found here.

Travellers arriving from a high-incidence area have to quarantine for 10 days on entering Germany. They can self-isolate at home or in a hotel.

Travellers arriving in Germany after having been in a high-incidence area can end their home quarantine early if they submit proof of vaccination or proof of recovery via the entry portal. Alternatively, from day 5 they also have the option of doing a “test to release” and submitting proof of a negative test. Quarantine can be ended once proof has been submitted.

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 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.

*The Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) has now published a list of authorisations and vaccine product names in third countries and vaccines with WHO emergency use listing on its website. Versions of EMA-authorised vaccines which are authorised in third countries (original or licensed production) and vaccines with WHO emergency use listing that correspond to the EU-authorised vaccines are equivalent to EMA-authorised vaccines for the purposes of demonstrating vaccine protection. At present, the only corresponding vaccines on the WHO list are AZD1222 (corresponds to AstraZeneca vaccine), Covishield (ChAdOx1_nCoV-19, AstraZeneca vaccine), BNT162b2/COMIRNATY Tozinameran (INN) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna vaccine).

Persons who are fully vaccinated with these vaccines listed by the PEI and have corresponding proof of vaccination can enter the country. The sole deciding factor is whether the vaccine name appears on the PEI list. The country names are given solely in order to identify which product name is used for a vaccine in a particular third country. In particular, the vaccine Covishield (ChAdOx1_nCoV-19) produced by the Serum Institute of India is also recognised as equivalent to the EMA-authorised vaccines if it is administered outside of India.

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.

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.