Border controls relaxed: what that means for commuters, holidaymakers and shoppers

Germany and the neighboring countries want to gradually ease the border controls existing due to the corona pandemic: Since Saturday, May 16, Germany has started to ease the controls – the controls are to be finally ended on June 15. Until then, travel is mostly not allowed for tourist reasons.

This article is updated continuously.

The first good news for holidaymakers is already there: the checks at the German border have been gradually relaxed since Saturday, May 16. Citizens should continue to do without tourist trips abroad in the coming weeks. As the Federal Ministry of the Interior announced, the controls initially ended at the border Luxembourg in the night of Saturday.

At the German-Danish border, Germany is also ready to stop controls "as soon as the Danish government has carried out its ongoing consultations with its neighboring countries". A similar solution is currently with Denmark negotiated. At the borders too France, Austria and Switzerland should all transitions be open again since Saturday, said Seehofer. Controls when crossing the border should, however, be passed on in random samples.

The limits too Poland and Czech Republic are not affected by the cabinet decision, because no controls have yet been carried out by the German side.

Travel not permitted for tourist reasons or for shopping

Travelers can now return to neighboring countries for business reasons and for family visits. Entry for tourist reasons, shopping or refueling is still not permitted.

Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer did not rule out a withdrawal of easing at the borders, however, if the number of corona infections rose again sharply. If the infection slips away from the authorities, that is, there are more than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants within a week in the border area, the easing would have to be withdrawn again, said the CSU politician on the ARD talk show "Maischberger.die woche".

EU ministers discuss border openings

In the EU, the ministers responsible for tourism in a video conference are voting on Wednesday to allow vacation trips in summer despite the corona pandemic (2:00 p.m.). This is based on proposals from the EU Commission, which provide for a "gradual" opening of the borders and contain recommendations for safety and hygiene measures. Brussels had also insisted that holidaymakers had to choose between reimbursement of the purchase price and a voucher for canceled trips.

Several EU holiday countries have already announced border openings. From June 3, Italy wants to let tourists back into the country. Austria wants to follow the borders to Germany on June 15th. In the Netherlands, holidaymakers should be allowed to visit campsites again from July 1st.

World doctors chief Montgomery warns of the opening of the borders

The chair of the World Medical Association, Frank Ulrich Montgomery, has warned against opening the European borders too quickly for tourism. "I would advise the government to keep the borders closed – in both directions," Montgomery told the Funke Media Group newspapers (Tuesday). "For health reasons, it would be best if people stayed where they live."

With regard to the announcement by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) that the travel warning for Europe should be lifted in mid-June, Montgomery warned of a dangerous race: "I am very concerned about the new easing between the European countries because we will again get an outbidding competition: Who opens further, who opens faster? " Travel will increase the risk of a second wave of infections: "It will be harder than the first because we will no longer be so careful."

The new freedom of travel is also risky due to the expected increase in trips to Germany: "If tourists come back to Germany now, the risk of infection increases," said Montgomery. The border openings are therefore premature. "The government acts here exclusively for economic reasons – and underestimates the health risks," he criticized: "We cannot return to normality yet."

Austria: border to Germany will open on June 15th

The border between Germany and Austria, closed due to the corona pandemic, is to be fully opened again on June 15. The Austrian Chancellery of the German Press Agency confirmed this on Wednesday. The Austrian news agency APA had previously reported on this. Since Friday (May 15), there have only been random checks at the borders, the APA reported.

Surf tip: Overview for all federal states – family, friends, acquaintances: Who you can visit now – and where the contact block applies

Border controls since mid-March

Germany ordered controls in mid-March. Since then, the borders with Austria, France, Luxembourg, Denmark and Switzerland have been monitored. This was intended to slow the spread of the lung disease. At other border sections – such as the border with Belgium and the Netherlands – controls in the 30-kilometer area along the border have been strengthened. Some politicians in Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Luxembourg have been calling for an end to controls for days.

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Bavaria relaxes quarantine rules for travelers

As announced, Bavaria has now changed the quarantine rules for travelers. Anyone who comes to the Free State from EU and Schengen countries as well as from Great Britain has not had to go into quarantine at home since the weekend, as a spokesman for the Ministry of Health said on Monday. To date, people who entered Bavaria from a neighboring European country had been in quarantine for 14 days. This should curb the spread of the corona pandemic.

Currently, in many federal states, everyone who enters from a neighboring country has to go into quarantine for 14 days. Seehofer had recommended that the federal states only apply this to people who had previously been in third countries – i.e. no longer for Germans who are arriving from France or from the Netherlands. The Federal Ministry is currently working on a new model regulation for the federal states. Some countries have already lifted the previous regulation.

Rail transport, commuters: Information from the Federal Ministry of the Interior

  • Border crossing: Since March 20, 2020, border crossings at the land borders with Austria, France, Luxembourg, Denmark and Switzerland have only been possible at certain border crossing points.
  • German nationals: You can still enter Germany.
  • Urgent reasons: Cross-border travel is generally permitted – regardless of nationality – for urgent reasons (including medical treatment, family deaths) depending on the circumstances of the individual case. In addition, the return trip of EU citizens (including from Great Britain) and citizens from Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland with their family members and third-country nationals to their countries of origin or to the country in which they are entitled to stay (long-term residence permit) remains means Transit through Germany or to your usual place of residence in Germany.
    Cross-border trade in goods as well as cross-border travel – also for transit purposes – for work-related reasons or to carry out a professional activity to perform contractual services – regardless of nationality – remains permitted (including commuters, EU parliamentarians, accredited diplomats). This must be proven by carrying suitable documents (e.g. employment contract, order documents, cross-border commuter card).
  • Married couples and life partners: Spouses and registered life partners are allowed to enter the community again, even beyond the German internal border. The existence of a marriage or registered cohabitation is recognized as a valid reason for entry, but entry and residence law provisions remain unaffected.
  • Tourist purposes: In contrast, trips by third-country nationals with Schengen visas for tourist purposes are no longer permitted. The Länder are responsible for questions regarding the maintenance of cross-border local and regional public transport.
  • Train traffic: Federal Interior Minister Seehofer, in coordination with the neighboring countries and the federal states concerned, has decided to introduce temporary internal border controls to further reduce the risk of infection from the corona virus. This also affects train traffic.
    The cross-border movement of goods and the cross-border movement of commuters remain guaranteed. Travelers without an urgent travel reason are no longer allowed to enter and exit. This also applies to travelers with symptoms of illness that could indicate a corona infection. In these cases, the necessary measures are initiated in coordination with the health authorities.

You can find more information on the website of the Federal Ministry of the Interior.

Tip: News about the coronavirus pandemic in the live ticker of VIP News

Italy plans to reopen airports in early June

Italy plans to reopen its airports as of June 3 as part of the corona pandemic. Then domestic and international travel should be allowed again, which is why transport restrictions could be lifted, Minister of Transport Paola De Micheli said in Rome on Wednesday (May 20), according to Italian news agencies. Italy had announced that it would be possible for EU citizens to enter the country again on June 3 and that there would be no general quarantine for them. There have been more train connections within Italy since this week.

No checks to Luxembourg – random checks at the German-French border

After two months of strict controls on the borders with Luxembourg and France, significant relief has been available since Saturday. There is no longer any control at the German-Luxembourg border, all crossings are open again, as Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) announced in Berlin on Wednesday. The border controls with France, on the other hand, are to be continued until June 15 – but in a more relaxed form: All crossings can be used again in the future. Instead of systematic controls, there will only be "random checks".

The decisions from Berlin generally made things easier in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland – especially with a view to the end of controls on Luxembourg. "This is a day for Europe," said Malu Dreyer (SPD), Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate. Opening the border would certainly bring a lot of relief. Christian Baldauf, the top CDU candidate for the Rhineland-Palatinate state election, spoke of a "good signal to the local population and the local economy".

Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, who from the very beginning campaigned for the removal of controls and closures at the EU internal borders as soon as possible, said: "This decision will not only bring concrete relief for citizens and businesses on both sides of the border, it is also a an important signal with regard to the gradual reinstatement of the Schengen Agreement. " Now the trust of the citizens in open borders has to be rebuilt.

The easing did not go far enough for everyone with a view to France. Saarland's Minister of Economic Affairs Anke Rehlinger (SPD) also called for an end to border controls with France. "It is good that controls on Luxembourg are now coming to an end, but I think they should also be on France," she said. There is "no more understandable reason" for it. Border controls were one of the first measures taken in the corona crisis – and are now "probably one of the last restrictive measures that we are withdrawing".

Denmark: borders closed until May 31st

Denmark initially closed its borders until May 31 and imposed an entry ban. This applies to all entries to Denmark for which there are no important reasons, the Federal Foreign Office reports.

Exceptions apply to people with residence and work permits, including cross-border commuters who work in Denmark, provided they can show a valid work and / or residence permit. Danish family members, children or life partners can also be visited. Travelers must be able to prove these reasons with documents at the border crossing upon entry and must be able to present a valid passport or identity card.

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The Czech Republic continues controls until June, but opens further border crossings

In the Czech Republic, the state of emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic expires at night from Sunday to Monday. But the entry stop for tourists from Germany and other countries remains on a different basis, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Prague clarified on dpa request. The Czech Ministry of Health published a regulation on "Protection against the introduction of Covid-19" on Saturday. It is valid for an unlimited period from May 18.

As before, there are exceptions for foreigners who have permanent residence in the Czech Republic. However, you must have a negative coronavirus test on arrival or undergo a 14-day home quarantine. There are also special regulations for cross-border commuters, truck drivers, diplomats, business travelers and students. In most cases, the health office responsible for the place of residence must be informed in advance.

The controls at the Czech borders with Germany and Austria had previously been extended until June 13th. After the last easing for public life, the number of daily new infections in the Czech Republic rose slightly, but remained below the hundred mark. As of Saturday, 8406 confirmed coronavirus infections were reported. 295 deaths have been linked to the novel disease.

Poland extends border controls until June 12th

In the fight against the corona pandemic, Poland wants to maintain controls on the borders with other EU countries until June 12. Minister of the Interior Mariusz Kaminski signed a corresponding decree, the Ministry in Warsaw announced on Wednesday. Until then, the borders with Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania can only be crossed at certain crossings.

In mid-March, the national-conservative government in Warsaw decided to close the EU's internal borders to foreigners as a protective measure against the further spread of the corona virus. Exceptions apply to people with a permanent residence permit, truck drivers and diplomats. There are no restrictions on the movement of goods. Poles returning from abroad must be quarantined for two weeks.

Polish citizens who work or study in Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic or Lithuania have been exempt from this requirement since 4 May. According to a government decree in Warsaw, they are exempt from quarantine. However, this does not apply to people who have a medical profession or work in care facilities.

Entry to Poland is permitted for people with a work permit or Karta Polaka. Polish spouses or children can also be visited. Contact details, including phone number, must be provided on entry. As a matter of principle, a 14-day quarantine must be observed immediately after entry.

These people can also only enter Germany from Poland at the following crossings: Jedrzychowice, Wegliniec-Horka, Olszyna-Forst, Zasieki-Forst, Gubin-Guben, Swiecko-Frankfurt, Kunowice-Frankfurt, Slubice-Frankfurt n. Odra, Kostzyn n. Odra-Kiec, Kostrzyn-Kiec, Krajnik Dolny-Schwedt, Szczecin Gumience, Kolbaskowo-Pomellen, Swinoujscie-Garz.

Switzerland: border controls and entry stop

Since March 25, Switzerland has extended entry restrictions to all states with the exception of the Principality of Liechtenstein.

The entry is only for Swiss and Liechtenstein citizens, people with a residence permit (Permis L, B, C, Ci), a Swiss visa or a work permit and people who have to travel to Switzerland for professional reasons (cross-border commuters with Permis G, goods traffic) possible. Exceptions can be made in a "situation of extreme necessity" such as a death in the family, a subpoena, etc. be allowed.

Direct transit through Switzerland to reach your place of residence is still possible, but must be proven.

Belgium: border controls

Border controls have been carried out in Belgium since 20 March. Border crossings that are not absolutely necessary are prohibited, especially travel for tourist purposes. The travel ban also applies to people with second homes in Belgium.

German nationals are allowed to travel to Germany. Germans who have a valid reason for travel (e.g. workplace, cross-border school visit, doctor's visit or urgent family matters etc.) may enter Belgium or travel through Belgium with appropriate evidence. The Belgian border police decide independently in each individual case.

Luxembourg: Longer waiting times due to border controls

The German-Luxembourg borders are not closed, but the German border controls between Luxembourg and Germany at the border crossings mean there are longer waiting times for (re) entry to Germany, the Federal Foreign Office said.

The border crossing is also only possible at selected border crossing points in Trier and Bexbach (for a complete list of the Ministry of the Interior).

Netherlands: No border controls

There are currently no border controls between the Netherlands and Germany. However, the quarantine regulations of the federal states must be observed when returning to Germany.

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