How do I travel to Germany from the UK?

Beginning on 1 February, EU Only entry to countries where vaccination certificates have been issued are allowed. EU It is possible to stay in countries for up to nine months following the date you received your first vaccine (i.e., Without a booster, you will need to have a second dose of vaccine. The same goes for NHS vaccination certificates.

The Robert Koch Institute removed the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland, and Northern Ireland from the high-risk category effective Sunday, 20 February 2022. Digital Registrations no longer need to be completed by travellers upon arrival or entry. However, non- EU Citizens of the United Kingdom (e.g., British nationals can only travel to Germany if they are fully vaccinated. This test is not valid instead of a PCR.

For all destinations, we advise;

If you plan to travel abroad, your travel health needs will be dependent on your personal situation.

• your destination
• How long will you stay?
• What you’ll actually be doing
• your general health

It is best to contact your travel health practitioner six to eight weeks before you plan on travelling. Even if your trip is shorter, you can still reach them.

Many of the health problems encountered by travellers cannot be prevented. These include food safety, water safety, injury prevention, sun protection, caring for insect bites and animals, as well as hand and respiratory hygiene.

For information regarding travel abroad, including security, entry requirements, and travel advice, visit the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office webpage.

If you are travelling with medication (including any over-the-counter medication), you should verify for restrictions by contacting diplomatic representation of the country.

Get travel insurance to make sure you are fully protected from any medical emergency, including repatriation.

Know how to access the healthcare you need at your destination

• FCDO’s website contains a complete list of international doctors and medical facilities.
• You can access a worldwide list of travel medicine clinics maintained by the International Society of Travel Medicine via their webpage.

Please seek medical attention if your symptoms persist after returning from a trip.

All UK passengers who travel to Germany from the UK must complete a pre-departure digital registration (in English).

Travellers six years and older who arrive in Germany from another country must provide proof of vaccination, proof that Covid was recovered or a negative LFT/antigen/PCR test within the past 48 hours.

Like other EU countries, Germany accepts NHS Covid Pass for proof of vaccination/or recovery from Covid. This can be presented in either digital form on a mobile phone or printed (as soon as it is dated after the 1 November 2021).

If you aren’t fully vaccinated, it is possible to enter Germany only from the UK.

• German citizen or their spouse/partner, or a child under 18
• German citizen or their spouse, partner, child, or minor child.
• You have an urgent role in your organisation that requires you to travel.

In these circumstances, you will need self-isolation for 10 days. However, “testing it and releasing” is still possible after five days.

If you’re not vaccinated, you may not be able to travel to Germany from the UK.

Unvaccinated children younger than five years can travel to Germany with at least one parent who has been fully vaccinated. They do not have the need to submit test results. But they will have to quarantine once they arrive in Germany unless they travel to visit first-degree relatives or have spent less time in high-risk countries like the UK. All other children under 6 are subject to quarantine from the moment they arrive.

More information about quarantine can be found at the Federal Interior Ministry site.

For more information on travelling to Germany, please visit the UK Foreign Office travel advice Germany.

Coronavirus situation in Germany

Germany has reported more than 7,000,000 Covid 19 cases since the pandemic began. 112,000 people have died. The average daily case number in Germany decreased by approximately 50% between the beginning of December 2021 and the end of December 2021.

If you plan to travel from Germany to the UK as someone who has not been vaccinated yet, you need to be aware of the current restrictions.

Germany announced a nationwide locking down for unvaccinated citizens on 2 December 2021. They cannot enter certain businesses, such as pharmacies and supermarkets, and they cannot also meet more than 2 people from another household.

The government also bans gatherings on New Year’s Day or New Year’s Eve and prohibits spectators from attending large events, such as football games. If the locality has 350 incidents per 100,000 in less than a week, licensed premises have to be shut down.

Germany’s parliament will vote next month to approve a vaccine mandate, which would make vaccination mandatory.

Its vaccine advisory committee has already recommended that people take their COVID-19-replacement shots three months following their primary course of immunizations – half the original recommended timeframe.

If you’re passing through Germany

For more information about transiting Germany, please visit the Federal Interior Ministry webpage. The heading “When is transit allowed through Germany?” appears under the heading. The Federal Health Ministry defines transit by asking, “What are exemptions from the obligation of registration?”.

Exemptions

Information about exemptions for non-residents is available on the Federal Interior Ministry webpage. This information is under “What constitutes an urgent need to travel”. Border guards are free to decide whether to allow entry in these situations.

Transport personnel and drivers of HGVs

HGV drivers, as well as other transport personnel entering Germany from the UK, are generally exempted from the requirement to show proof of immunity, a negative test for COVID-19 or proof they have been vaccinated. They are also exempted from entering Germany from the quarantine requirement, provided that they were not within the preceding 10 days in an Area designated by the German government as a Viral Variant Area.

“What are exemptions from proof obligation?”. See this page for information on testing or vaccination.

For more information on exemptions to the duty to quarantine on entry, see. See this page for information on the quarantine policy for this group.

Before you travel, be sure to verify your passport.

Passport validity

If you intend to travel within the EU, except Ireland, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, Liechtenstein as well as Monaco and San Marino, you will need to adhere to the Schengen rules.

There are 2 requirements for your passport to be valid. It must satisfy the following conditions

• It is less than 10 years old when you enter the program (check the “date of issue”)).
• Valid for at the very least 3 months after your departure date (check the expiry date’).

We are asking for clarification from the European Commission on the 10-year rule. Their guidance to Schengen borderguards might not be updated before the spring of 2022. For certain Schengen country passports, you may not need to keep them under 10 years. In addition, the three months at the conclusion of your trip may have to be within 10 to 15 years of their issue date.

Double-check the expiry and issue date on your passport. An extra month may have been added to your passport’s expiry if you renewed your passport before it expired. This could result in your passport needing to be less than 10 years old.

If you believe your passport is not meeting these requirements, you should contact your travel provider. Renewal your passport if needed.

Visas

You can travel within Schengen to any country for up to 90 days in any 180 day period without a Visa. This is for tourists who are visiting their family or friends or to study or train.

If you’re travelling to Germany or other Schengen states without a Visa, please make sure that your entire trip is within the 90-day time limit. The 90 days limit applies to any Schengen country visited within the preceding 180 days.

You need to meet German government requirements to stay longer or work, study, travel or do business in Germany. Get in touch with the German embassy to learn more about which visas and work permits you might need.

Guidance on visas, permits and travel to Germany is available. Get more information from the German embassy on employment regulations.

It does not count toward your 90-day visa free limit if you are a resident permit holder or long-stay visitor to Germany.

Passport stamping

When you visit Germany or enter or exit Schengen, check that your passport has been stamped. Border guards can use passport stamps for verification that you have met the 90-day visa waiver limit for short stays. Border guards can assume that you have violated your visa-free time limit if they do not find the appropriate entry or exit stamps in your passport.

You can present evidence to prove when and where your entry or exit from the Schengen zone. The border guards may ask you to add this date/location to your passport. Acceptable evidence includes tickets and boarding passes.

You may also want to:

• Show a Return or Onward ticket
• Show you have sufficient money to cover your stay

If you live in Germany, visit our Living in Germany guide to learn more about passport stamping.

Evidence of residency

If you are a German resident, bring proof of your residency when you travel. If you were living in Germany before 1 January 2021, you should carry your residence document (Aufenthaltsdokument-GB), as well as your valid passport when you travel. If you have applied but have not yet received your document, carry your certificate of application (Fiktionsbescheinigung).

If you are not able to prove your residence in Germany, then you may be asked additional questions and may have your passport stamped. You are still entitled to all rights in Germany.

Returning to UK

All passengers aged 12 and above who are travelling to the UK from abroad must complete an online tourist locator form before departing. The form can be filled out by adults who are travelling with children aged under 18.

If you have been fully vaccinated prior to or after your arrival in the UK, you are not required to take any tests, and there is no need to quarantine. For travellers under 18, the same rules apply.

If you are not fully vaccinated and 18 years old or over:

• A negative Covid-19 screening will be required. This must be done within two days of your arrival in the UK.
• You will need to book the PCR test and pay within two days from your arrival in Britain. This must be booked with an independent provider before you travel.
• If your PCR result is positive, there’s no need to put you in quarantine.