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 third countries like the United Kingdom may enter Germany if they are fully vaccinated (see “What rules apply for fully vaccinated people?”) or if they are serving in an important role or there is an urgent need to travel (see “What constitutes an urgent need to travel?”). 

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 proof of vaccination, proof of having recovered from the virus, or a negative Covid-19 test before entering the country. The test must have been taken no more than 48 hours before arrival in Germany. The basis for calculating the 48-hour period is the time of arrival in Germany. In the case of entry using a carrier and where testing comprised a nucleic acid test (e.g. PCR), then the actual time or scheduled time of carrier departure is taken as the basis. PCR, LAMP, TMA and antigen tests are all accepted. Antigen tests must meet certain quality standards. More details can be found here.

Information on proof of vaccination or recovery can be found under question 8.

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.

2a. Minor children of Germans, EU citizens and of persons with a right of residence in Germany 

Minor children of Germans, EU citizens and of persons 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. They have to go into quarantine for 10 days after entry, but can end this early with a vaccination/recovery certificate. Alternatively, quarantine can be ended early with a negative Covid-19 test on the fifth day after entry. See also information under “Important” below.

Children younger than 6 do not have to provide proof of Covid status, but still have to quarantine after entry. For them, quarantine ends automatically 5 days after entry.

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 quarantine, it is advisable to contact them before your trip to Germany.

2b. Minor children of third-country nationals

Minor children of third-country nationals are allowed to enter Germany if they are fully vaccinated (see information under “Important” below) or if there is an urgent need to travel. They have to go into quarantine on arrival, but can end this early by presenting a vaccination/recovery certificate. Alternatively, quarantine can be ended early with a negative Covid-19 test on the fifth day after entry.

However, children younger than 12 who are not fully vaccinated and do not have an urgent need to travel are allowed to enter the country if accompanied by a fully vaccinated parent. However, they need to show a negative Covid-19 test or proof of recovery to enter the country (the Embassy recommends presenting a negative Covid-19 test). They have to quarantine for 10 days on arrival, but quarantine can be ended early with a vaccination/recovery certificate. Alternatively, quarantine can also be ended early with a negative Covid-19 test on day 5 after entry. See also information under “Important” below. Minors younger than 6 are not required to provide proof of their Covid status (no Covid-19 test etc.). For them, quarantine ends automatically 5 days after entry.

Important:

Minors between the ages of 12-17 are only allowed to enter if they have an urgent need or if they have been fully vaccinated.

In Germany, a person is only deemed to be fully vaccinated when they have had two doses.

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

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

Transit to another EU member state or Schengen state

Citizens of countries outside of the EU (e.g. British citizens) may enter Germany to travel to another EU member state or another Schengen state as their country of final destination if the following conditions are met:

1. the traveller remains in Germany (as country of transit) only as long as absolutely necessary to travel directly to the country of destination or another transit country;
2. the traveller is permitted to enter the country of destination or another transit country (in accordance with Annex I or II of the Council Recommendation of 30 June 2020 or with individual confirmation of permission to enter issued by the country of destination).

Under these conditions, citizens of countries outside of the EU may also enter Germany by air and travel overland to their country of destination.

The traveller must, on entering the country, provide evidence that the conditions listed above have been met. Airline or other travel tickets, etc. may be presented to meet condition (1). A printout of the current national regulations in place in the country of destination implementing Annex I of the Council Recommendation may be presented to meet condition (2). It must be clear from the text that residents of certain countries are not required to provide proof of the reason for travel to the country of destination. If this is not possible, then evidence must be provided of the urgent need for entry in accordance with Annex II of the Council Recommendation. Germany’s border control officials will only check for compliance with the requirements for entering Germany. Alternatively, the traveller may present a document issued by the responsible authorities of the country of destination certifying that entry restrictions have been waived or that approval of entry has been granted. 

Transit through Germany to travel to a country outside of the EU

Citizens of countries outside of the EU may enter Germany to travel to a country outside of the EU if the following conditions are met:

1. the traveller remains in Germany (as country of transit) only as long as absolutely necessary to travel directly to the country of destination or another transit country;
2. the traveller is permitted to enter the country of destination or another transit country, if applicable.

The traveller must provide evidence on entry that the conditions (1) and (2) listed above have been met. Airline or other travel tickets, etc. may be presented to meet condition (1). To meet condition (2), travellers can present authorisation of entry to the country of destination (e.g. a visa) or an identity document or residence authorisation for the country of destination, for example.

The rules set out in questions 4-8 apply.

Before you travel, you must submit a digital registration form if you have stayed in an area designated by the Robert Koch Institute as a high-risk area or area of variant of concern 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 a high-risk area with effect from 4 January 2022. You can find a complete list of all high-risk areas and areas of variants of concern on the Robert Koch Institute website.

This is how the digital registration works:

On the website www.einreiseanmeldung.de you provide information about where you have stayed in the last ten days. Once 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 prior to departure whether you have confirmation. If you do not, 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 12 May, people in the following categories are exempt from the obligation to register:

• Those who have only travelled through a high-risk area or area of variants of concern and did not have a stopover there,
  

• Those who are entering the Federal Republic of Germany for transit purposes, and who leave the country by the fastest means to complete their transit,

• Those who have crossed the border into a neighbouring high-risk area or area of variants of concern 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.

The decision as to who is allowed to enter Germany is taken solely by the Federal Border Police. Should you have questions regarding entering Germany, you can contact the Federal Border Police at your destination airport in Germany. Please use the email address below if 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 December, new rules have been in effect for entering and transiting through France. 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 subject to certain conditions. Please refer to the travel and safety information for Belgium and the information from the Belgian Embassy in London.

Travellers arriving from a high-risk 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-risk 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. Information on minors can be found under “What are the rules for minors entering Germany?” You can find additional information on the obligation to quarantine and exemptions here

You can find a complete list of all high-risk 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:

To enter Germany 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.

*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.

Questions and answers on proof of vaccination for entry into Germany can be found here (in German).

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. In addition, the final jab must have been at least 14 days ago.

Vaccination certificates issued in the Channel Islands are also recognised, subject to the same conditions.

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 three months previously.

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 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. Case numbers are high, which is why the United Kingdom has been classified as an area with a particularly high infection risk (high-risk area) with effect from 4 January 2022.

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.

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have each implemented their own pandemic rules with different sets of 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, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Gibraltar, Guernsey and 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.

What should I do if I am ill or suffering from coronavirus symptoms?

Please follow the NHS advice.

• Anyone with a cough and/or high temperature, and/or loss of smell and taste, and/or other symptoms, should self-isolate at home for 10 days and anyone living in the same household should do the same.
• If you require medical advice or treatment, we would ask you to use the NHS 111 Online Coronavirus Service or call the NHS hotline on 111. The hotline is usually very busy. Please expect a long waiting time. The hotline is free of charge and available to all, including tourists and other visitors.
• If you suspect you may be infected with coronavirus/Covid-19, please do not visit the doctor’s surgery, pharmacy or any other facility without telephoning in advance.

Federal Foreign Office: Information on entry restrictions, testing and quarantine requirements in Germany, transiting through Germany

Federal Ministry of Health: FAQ Registration on entry – Obligation to provide proof – Quarantine on entry

Registration on entry

Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community: Please scroll down to Travel restrictions/ Border controls, I. and IV.

Robert Koch Institut: Information for travellers entering Germany/ Flyer