If you want to go on vacation now, you have to prepare well. Many non-European travel destinations no longer apply due to entry restrictions and travel warnings. Holidays in European countries are possible. The Federal Foreign Office (AA) extended its worldwide travel warning until the end of August, but this no longer applies to the majority of European countries. The AA currently only warns of trips to Luxembourg due to the high number of new infections. Every country has its own peculiarities. An overview.
The rules in the holiday countries (in alphabetical order):
Egypt: Travel warning, but entry possible and no quarantine
For Egypt, the Foreign Office's travel warning is valid until August 31 as a non-EU country. Nevertheless, the country on the Mediterranean has been reopening its borders to foreign visitors since 1 July after a long flight stop. The government is continuously advertising the strict corona rules at popular seaside resorts such as Sharm el Sheikh to attract tourists back to the country.
Hotels and resorts in the seaside resort of Hurghada were fully booked in recent days – the current maximum limit that the government had set to contain the corona virus.
Tourists do not need to be quarantined after entering the North African country and can move freely. A mask requirement applies, among other things, in shops, supermarkets and in public transport.
Belgium: Entry possible – after heat test at the airport, however, it can be refused
Tourists from Germany can enter easily. At Brussels Airport, however, the temperature of all passengers is measured using thermal cameras. If the temperature exceeds 38 degrees, entry could be refused. The restrictions have been tightened again due to the increasing number of corona cases – most recently more than 300 per day. A mask requirement applies in public places with a large audience as well as in buses and trains, museums and shops. Guests in pubs and restaurants must leave contact details. You can only go shopping alone and for a maximum of 30 minutes.
In the province of Antwerp, where there are the most confirmed corona cases, there is a particularly strict mask requirement, a night curfew and a nightly ban on selling alcohol. On the North Sea coast, holidaymakers and locals sometimes have to register for beach visits beforehand.
Bulgaria: No quarantine requirement
There has been no quarantine requirement for holiday guests from all EU countries since mid-July. However, travelers from Sweden and Portugal must have a negative corona virus test. In order to enter the country, holidaymakers from North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Ukraine, Moldova, Israel and Kuwait must also have a negative PCR test.
So far, the number of guests has been quite low. July is strangely quiet on the sandy beaches and promenades. Many large hotels in the seaside resorts on the Black Sea are still closed because it is uncertain how many guests they can expect. The hotels that are already open have adjusted to corona protection measures – such as greater distance between tables and chairs. Because of the rapidly increasing number of cases of corona, mouth-nose masks are again mandatory in shared closed rooms – for example in supermarkets, pharmacies, authorities and churches. Night clubs have been allowed to open the interior areas again since July 13, however, even if there is only one guest per square meter.
Denmark: Entry permitted if at least six nights have been booked
After the Danes were one of the first countries in Europe to close their borders for foreigners without a specific reason for entry on March 14, Germans can now re-enter. The only condition: you must have booked six overnight stays in the country. Exceptions apply to Germans who own a Danish summer house, want to visit their partners in the state or are residents of Schleswig-Holstein.
The number of new infections is low in Denmark. Restaurants, cafes and shops have been open since May, there is no obligation to wear a mask.
Finland: No more restrictions
Germans and many other Europeans have been allowed to enter the country again since mid-July. The travel warning issued by the Federal Foreign Office due to the corona pandemic was also lifted in mid-July, which means that German travelers are no longer subject to any restrictions or quarantine regulations in the event of a holiday in Finland.
It is crucial for the Finns that fewer than eight new corona cases per 100,000 inhabitants were recorded in the respective countries within a two-week period.
France: No more restrictions, but strict mask requirements
Tourists from Germany can enter without any problems. The number of new infections has risen again slightly recently, authorities have called for compliance with the corona rules.
Masks are mandatory in public transport and in closed public spaces such as shops and market halls. In several tourist resorts in Brittany, in the Mayenne department and in parts of the city center of the coastal city of Nice, the corona protective mask is also mandatory on the street. Museums and monuments have opened in Paris. However, tickets to many attractions are limited so that visitors can keep enough distance. In most cases, tickets have to be reserved or bought in advance online. Many restaurants have expanded their terraces to accommodate more guests outdoors.
Greece: Entry permitted, but travelers must notify arrival
Entry from most EU countries is permitted. However, travelers must register electronically at least 24 hours before arrival, indicating where they were before and where they will be in Greece. An algorithm then calculates whether and which travelers have to take a corona test after their arrival. For citizens from Romania and Bulgaria, negative corona tests are required at least 72 hours before entry.
A mask requirement applies to all closed rooms such as public transport, retail stores or shopping centers. The loungers on the beaches are at least four meters away. Greece continues to have one of the lowest infection rates in Europe in terms of population.
Great Britain: Entry permitted
Travelers from Germany and around 70 other countries can now enter without restrictions. These include Austria, Switzerland and Italy. For travelers from other countries, such as the USA, the obligation to quarantine for two weeks still applies. Just before the start of your trip, take a look at the Internet, as the list of countries exempt from quarantine can change constantly, as the example of Spain shows.
Each part of the UK decides on its own measures to fight the pandemic. So there are also different rules for mandatory masks.
Ireland: German travelers must be isolated for two weeks after arrival
Travelers from Germany must remain in isolation for two weeks after arriving in Ireland. Only a small number of countries on a "green list" are exempt from this rule. These include, for example, Italy, Greece, Finland and Norway.
Contact details must also be left on entry. Travel is allowed again within the country, including to the islands. Masks must be worn in public transport, shops and other closed spaces.
Iceland: No restrictions
The island in the North Atlantic, which is heavily dependent on tourism, introduced the possibility for holidaymakers in mid-June to be tested directly upon entering Corona. This gave international tourists an alternative to the 14-day quarantine that had been mandatory since April.
This requirement no longer applies to German Icelandic adventurers, which is why, like travelers from Denmark, Norway and Finland, they can now search for glaciers and geysers without a corona test. The only condition is that you were not in a risk area in the 14 days before entry.
Italy: No restrictions, but infection numbers have increased recently
Most holidaymakers from the EU or the Schengen area have been allowed to enter without restrictions since June. Rome has recently again imposed a two-week quarantine obligation on arrivals from Bulgaria and Romania – this also applies to visitors from non-EU countries. You can move freely in Italy.
However, the number of infections has recently risen again slightly, but not by far as strongly as in Germany. Nevertheless, many Italians are concerned about this. In shops, trains or other closed rooms, the mask is still mandatory. Larger crowds of people are prohibited, people stand too close together and drink in the piazza, the police often intervene. Distance rules must be adhered to on beaches – but this is sometimes not possible. In the bars and restaurants, many innkeepers have almost completely put their tables outside. Sometimes there is also a plexiglass partition to the next table. Prior reservations are welcome, but not a must.
Croatia: Entry possible, contact options must be specified at the border
Croatia has allowed Germans and citizens of some other EU countries to enter the country without proof of certain reasons since the beginning of June. This has been applicable to citizens of all EU countries since July 10th. At the border, travelers only have to explain where they will be and how they can be reached. This should enable them to be found when there are new corona infections in their environment. A corresponding form can be downloaded from the Internet prior to departure.
Distance rules apply on the beaches, overcrowding should be avoided. Since July 13th, masking has again been mandatory in shops and public transport.
Luxembourg: travel warning
The Federal Foreign Office currently warns of "unnecessary, especially tourist trips" to Luxembourg because of the high number of infections. There are no controls and no entry restrictions at the borders with the Grand Duchy. There is a requirement for a mask, among other things, in local public transport.
A minimum distance of two meters must also be maintained in shops and public facilities. In some areas, stricter regulations may apply.
Malta: Entry possible, corona test may be arranged at elevated temperatures
After Malta, citizens from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and many other countries in Europe who are classified as "safe» "are generally allowed to enter again without restrictions. However, they must not have been outside these "safe" countries in the past 14 days.
According to the AA, the Maltese measure body temperature on arrival. If it is 37.2 degrees Celsius or higher, a corona test is carried out.
Netherlands: Entry permitted, but Amsterdam appeals to tourists
The Dutch vacation is still possible for Germans. However, Amsterdam has called on tourists to voluntarily refrain from visits on weekends – for fear of a second wave of Corona. Day guests should rather postpone their visit to Monday to Thursday, the city said. Tourists who are already in the city are called on social media to observe the corona rules and to avoid crowds in the city. No alcohol is allowed to be sold throughout the weekend in shops in the red light district. The ban does not apply to pubs and restaurants.
The influx of tourists, particularly from Germany, Belgium and France but also from the Netherlands, has increased so that the safety distance of 1.5 meters in the center cannot be maintained. This is mandatory in public life, including in shops and on beaches. A mask is mandatory on public transport. Tourists should not use the bus, train or metro if possible at peak times.
Norway: entry without quarantine
The AA's travel warning was also lifted for Norway. German holidaymakers have been allowed to enter the country quarantine-free again since mid-July, since then the number of tourists in the country has skyrocketed. The vacation in Norway was long in the balance for Germans, because the Norwegians left their borders closed in mid-March for a relatively long time.
On July 10, the government then gave the green light to several countries with satisfactory corona numbers – including Germany, which is so important for Norwegian tourism. The obligation to quarantine ten days after entering or returning to Norway is thus no longer applicable.
Austria: No restrictions for travelers from Germany
Travelers from Germany have free travel to and through Austria. From an Austrian perspective, Germany is one of the countries with a stable Covid 19 situation. The situation is different for 32 states and regions, which are now considered to be a risk area. This includes the countries of the Western Balkans, but also Romania, Bulgaria, Sweden, the United States and Russia. In this case, the traveler must carry a negative PCR test that must not be older than 72 hours. Alternatively, he can go to quarantine, but must then quickly do a PCR test. As a result of the restrictions, controls are carried out at the borders with Slovenia and Hungary.
Some of the more frequent corona cases in Austria are attributed to infected travelers. 1,600 people in the Alpine Republic are currently positive, most of them in Vienna and Upper Austria.
Poland: No entry restrictions
Since June 13, the country has opened its borders to all neighboring EU countries. Incoming EU foreigners and Poles do not have to be quarantined and can move freely within the country. Masks are mandatory in closed rooms, in public transport and – if a distance of 1.5 meters cannot be maintained – in public rooms. Hotels, shopping centers, restaurants and cafés are open. The same applies to hairdressing salons, beauty salons, swimming pools and gyms. The train connections between Germany and Poland were resumed at the end of June. Lot has been flying to destinations abroad since the beginning of July.
The government in Poland is considering reintroducing a 14-day quarantine obligation to certain countries inside and outside the EU. So far, it has not been disclosed which countries these are. A decision could be made within the next two to three weeks.
Portugal: No entry restrictions
There are no entry restrictions for Germans in Portugal. However, visitors must provide information, among other things, about the destination and accessibility during their stay in the country. The body temperature is also measured. For a long time, Portugal was considered one of the countries in Europe that had come through the crisis comparatively well and with low contagion and casualty numbers.
For a few weeks now, however, there has been an increase in new infections, especially in the greater Lisbon area. However, the situation there has eased somewhat and the lockdown in several (less visited by tourists) suburbs of the capital has been lifted. Unlike in Spain, there is no general requirement to wear a mask outdoors, but more and more cities and regions such as Madeira have ordered this regionally.
Romania: Entry permitted, but departure or onward travel could be problematic
EU citizens can freely enter Romania. However, these could later have problems with the departure or onward journey, because travelers from Romania in several EU countries have to face obstacles due to the rapidly increasing number of infections. For example, they are automatically placed in quarantine in neighboring Hungary.
The number of infections has exploded in recent weeks, and the authorities expect a further increase. Individual locations can be declared and blocked at short notice as a focus of infection at any time. Plus 1119 new infections within 24 hours were on Friday. This is a good five times as much as the precautionary easing that came into force in mid-May.
There is no basic quarantine requirement for travelers. In closed public spaces, there is a duty to wear a mask, distance in restaurants, on the beaches and at outdoor events.
Sweden: No entry restrictions
The Swedes still have to cope with comparatively high corona values, despite falling deaths and infections. Among other things, this ensures that they cannot travel as freely as many others within Scandinavia and Europe. The Swedish borders, on the other hand, are open to EU citizens – travel by plane, ferry or car across the Øresund Bridge is possible, and there are no restrictions within the country either. In view of the falling number of infections, the AA lifted its travel warning for the Scandinavian country in mid-July.
Switzerland: No entry restrictions for travelers from Germany
The border is open to travelers from the Schengen countries. However, the Swiss list more than three dozen risk countries. Anyone who was in one of the countries in the 14 days before entering the country must go to a ten-day quarantine. Germany is not one of them, but it is Luxembourg, Mexico, the USA, Russia, Israel or Serbia. Those who avoid quarantine can be fined 10,000 francs (around 9,300 euros).
Masks are mandatory for public transport throughout Switzerland, including cable cars. More and more cantons are also mandating mouth and nose protection in shops. Although restaurants, bars and clubs are open again, an increasing number of cantons have restricted the number of guests because some clubs have become more infected.
Slovakia: No entry restrictions for travelers from Germany
Germans can enter without restrictions. There are quarantine regulations only for transit trips from risky states, and non-compliance will be punished. The country was hardly affected by the corona virus and has therefore relaxed most of the initially very strict corona protection measures.
Mouth and nose protection must also be worn in public transport and inside shops, in restaurants only when entering and leaving. A queue of 2 meters is recommended in queues, for example at cash registers. At cultural events, the organizers ensure that there is sufficient distance between the spectators.
Slovenia: No entry restrictions for travelers from Germany
The EU country between the Alps and the Adriatic allows travelers from Germany and several other European countries to enter without restrictions. If you want to go on holiday there, you don't even have to show a booking confirmation. In addition, citizens from these and other countries can travel through the small country in transit.
Slovenia serves as a transit country for holidaymakers from Germany who travel to Croatia in their own car. It has a 46-kilometer section on the Adriatic itself with a well-developed tourist infrastructure. Distance rules apply; a mask must be worn in closed public spaces and public transport.
Spain: Travel warning for three regions
After the travel warning from the Federal Foreign Office for Catalonia with the tourist metropolis Barcelona as well as for Aragón and Navarra, fewer tourists are likely to venture to Spain than before. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) also declared the three regions to be corona risk areas. The 14-week lockdown until June 21 and corona numbers that have risen since then have already had a major impact on the tourism industry in Germany's most popular holiday destination.
Citizens from the EU and the Schengen countries have been allowed to enter Spain without limits since June 21. But countries like the UK and Norway have now ordered forced quarantines for returnees from the main European holiday destination.
In the country itself, strict precautionary measures apply, such as a mask requirement not only in closed public spaces, but also outdoors, distance rules of at least one and a half meters, restrictions on the number of guests in restaurants and other facilities to 30 to 70 percent of normal capacities depending on the region. In big cities like Barcelona or Madrid the nightlife is very limited, in Barcelona people are asked to leave the house only for important reasons.
However, the Corona numbers are low on the Balearic Islands with Mallorca, which are very popular with Germans, and also on the Canary Islands. Despite many local outbreaks, the pandemic is still considered to be under control. Important for visitors to Spain: You have to fill out an online form and then receive a QR code, which must be shown on arrival by plane. The temperature should also be measured upon entry. However, travelers report that they were not checked at all.
Czech Republic: No entry restrictions
Germans have been able to return to the country since the beginning of June. Quarantine or a negative corona test are not required. A mask requirement applies among other things in the Prague subway and in the eastern administrative region of Moravian-Silesia. Recently there had been more infections.
The capital city of Prague tries to attract tourists with cultural vouchers – but hotels and restaurants in the historic city center are unusually empty for the time of year. So far, there have been more than 370 corona infections in the Czech Republic.
Turkey: Travel warning reserved for most important vacation areas
The federal government has Travel warning for the four Turkish coastal provinces Antalya, Izmir, Aydin and Mugla removed. Vice-government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer and the Federal Foreign Office announced on Tuesday in Berlin. However, all travelers to Turkey must have themselves tested for possible corona infection at their own expense and adhere to additional safety requirements within 48 hours before their return.
For all other provinces, including the metropolis of Istanbul and the capital Ankara, the travel warning remains. The Federal Foreign Office also pointed out that nothing would change in the classification of the whole of Turkey as a corona risk area, not even in the quarantine regulations in force for returnees to Germany. If the Corona test before the return trip is positive, travelers in Turkey would have to go to quarantine and, if necessary, seek medical treatment. The costs for the tests, which would generally be required regardless of where you are in Turkey, are between 15 and 30 euros.
In addition, the Federal Foreign Office pointed out that Turkey, in turn, arranges for body temperature measurements on entry. Further medical examinations and tests can be arranged at elevated temperatures. Irrespective of the corona pandemic, the Federal Foreign Office continues to warn against arbitrary arrests in Turkey or bans on departure for German citizens who are accused of offenses under Turkish law.
Hungary: No entry restrictions for travelers from Germany
German vacationers can enter Germany without restrictions if they start their journey in a country that is classified as safe with regard to the pandemic. Germany and most EU countries are considered safe. Transit through Hungary is possible in any case, but these travelers must not deviate from certain transit corridors and must leave the country in a maximum of 24 hours.
Most of the hotels, restaurants and bars in Hungary have reopened. A mask requirement applies in public transport, taxis and shops. Distance rules must also be observed.
Cyprus: No entry restrictions, but electronic registration
The island has reported few corona infections from travelers or locals since tourism opened. Anyone traveling to Cyprus must register electronically before starting. A mask requirement applies to all closed rooms, public transport or shopping centers. public transport and hospitals. For citizens from Romania and Bulgaria, negative corona tests are required at least 72 hours before entry. The holiday island has a very low infection rate compared to other European countries.