Travel warnings in the virus crisis, limits too – what you need to know

Worldwide travel warning issued

Poland, Italy, France, USA to China: More and more countries are sealing themselves off in Europe – and no longer allow Germans to enter the country, or only under difficult conditions. In the meantime, the federal government has also issued a worldwide travel warning for tourist trips. Until now, the Federal Foreign Office had only advised against unnecessary trips abroad.

An overview of the current situation.

Overview of international risk areas according to the RKI:

Italy, Iran, China (Hubei Province incl.Wuhan City), South Korea (Gyeongsangbuk-do Province), France (Grand Est region – this region includes Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne), Austria (State of Tyrol), Spain (Madrid) and UNITED STATES (States of California, Washington and New York)

• Areas particularly affected in Germany according to the RKI: Landkreis Heinsberg (North Rhine-Westphalia)

Travel between non-European countries and the EU will be suspended for 30 days

In order to slow the spread of the corona virus, all borders of the Schengen area are to be closed from Tuesday noon. This was announced by French President Emmanuel Macron in a television speech. The decision was made together with the other members of the European Union, he said. "All trips between non-European countries and the European Union are suspended for 30 days."

Further restrictions on travel traffic:

Germany closes borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark

The most important information for German travelers. Since Monday, March 16, there have been increased controls at the German borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg and Denmark. Germans can enter Germany at any time. Foreign citizens can only leave or enter the country with a "valid reason for travel". These include commuting and goods traffic.

The measures have been taken indefinitely. Commuters could, for example, cross the borders with a pass issued by the country and the employer. Holidaymakers, on the other hand, will no longer be able to leave Germany on these rural routes. There is still no information on flights and trains to the countries concerned.

Schleswig-Holstein is locking Islands for tourists

Since 6:00 a.m. on Monday, March 16th all Schleswig-Holstein North and Baltic islands and the Halligen in the North Sea closed to tourists. This was confirmed by the responsible police control centers. Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) had asked holidaymakers to go home when the decision was announced after a cabinet meeting on Sunday.

The North Sea islands affected by the tourist stop include Sylt, Amrum and Föhr, the North Beach peninsula and the Halligen Hooge and Langeneß. The popular holiday island is in the Baltic Sea Fehmarn closed to tourists until further notice.

Also read: Rail restricts regional and S-Bahn traffic: Commuters need to know that

Denmark: border with Germany close

Denmark closed all country borders on Saturday at noon – including those to Germany. Only Danish citizens are allowed to enter the country. Tourists are stopped at the border.

Czech Republic: tight border with Germany

The Czech Republic closes its borders for all Germanswho have no permanent residence in the EU Member State. The measure also applies to foreigners from Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, Denmark and France, Prime Minister Andrej Babis said. He classified these states as risk areas for infection with the novel corona virus.

Poland: borders closed to foreigners

Poland has introduced controls at the borders with countries in the Schengen area. Since then, foreigners have not been allowed into the country for the next ten days.

Poles can return to their homeland, but must be in quarantine for 14 days. This does not apply to people residing in Poland, commuters, spouses of Polish citizens, diplomats and truck drivers who transport goods into the country. International train and air traffic is even suspended for two weeks.

• Air, rail and shipping traffic has also been interrupted in the country since March 15.
• Border controls will be introduced by March 24 and some crossings from Germany to Poland will be completely closed.

Croatia: Quarantine for Germans

Travelers from risk areas such as the district of Heinsberg in NRW must be particularly careful here, because when entering Croatia they have to go to a 14-day hospital quarantine. Travelers from the other regions of Germany have to go into domestic quarantine for 14 days.

• Note: All currently amended entry requirements for German citizens can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.
• Here German travelers can find all information about current travel advice for Italy.
• Since the situation around the corona virus is changing rapidly, the Federal Foreign Office advises travelers from Germany to find out about possible entry restrictions at the embassy or consulate in their country of destination before starting their trip.

Slovakia: No more foreigners in the country

The Slovakia Apart from Poland, no longer wants to let foreigners into the country. The government said it would stop international bus and train traffic to the country. The spokesman for the Slovak Ministry of the Interior, Peter Lazarov, also announced the closure of all international airports in Bratislava.

Latvia: national borders closed

In the fight against further spread of the corona virus Latvia its borders tight for travelers. Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins announced on Saturday in Riga the suspension of international passenger traffic. The measure has been in effect since March 17 and includes air, rail, sea and road transport. Until then, all Latvians should return to their homeland. The borders remained open for the goods traffic, said Karins.

Estonia: border tight for almost all foreigners

The fight against the coronavirus pandemic is also moving Estonia Consequences. The border has been closed to almost all foreigners since Tuesday, and there are temporary border controls again. Only Estonians and foreigners with a residence permit or relatives in Estonia are allowed to enter. However, you must be in quarantine for two weeks.

The government in Tallinn had previously closed all schools, museums, cinemas, leisure and sports centers by May 1st and prohibited public events.

Lithuania: national borders closed

Lithuania also announced on Saturday evening that it would close its borders to foreigners. This applies from midnight from Sunday to Monday. Only people with a residence permit, diplomats and NATO soldiers can then still enter. "Our goal is to delay the spread of the virus in the country as long as possible and to minimize the negative effects," said Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis.

Kindergartens, schools and universities have also been closed in Lithuania since Friday. Large events are prohibited. From Monday, most shops, restaurants and pubs are also to remain closed. Only grocery stores and pharmacies are allowed to open further.

Norway: International air traffic stopped

Norway has stopped international air traffic for the time being. In addition, the country will reject all foreigners at its border from Monday.

Switzerland: controls at the border with Germany

In the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, controls are carried out at other borders of the country. So far, these have only existed on the border with Italy. Now the borders to Germany, Austria and France should also be checked.

Switzerland has also declared an emergency because of the Corona crisis. There is a general ban on meetings, Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga said. The measures should initially apply until April 19.

Austria refuses entry from Italy – with exceptions

Austria refuses entry to travelers from Italy. Exceptions just be With medical certificate possible, it said. The passage of tourists towards Germany should remain possible if it is guaranteed that they will cross the Alpine Republic without a stop, the authorities said. For example, the fuel gauge can be checked by travelers.

Tyrol and Salzburg also closed all ski resorts due to the corona epidemic and ended the winter season prematurely. The state governments of the two federal states announced this.

In Austria there are now drastic new restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic almost a curfew. The just under nine million inhabitants are only supposed to leave their homes for compelling reasons.

Anyone returning from Austria, Italy or Switzerland should, according to the recommendation of the Federal Ministry of Health, stay at home for 14 days and, in the event of symptoms, notify their doctor or the health department – first by telephone.

At Vienna Airport, scheduled air traffic will probably soon largely come to a standstill due to the worldwide flight bans, a spokesman for the broadcaster "oe24" said. Freight traffic is not affected, however.

The Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines (AUA), according to its own information, will cease flight operations from Thursday until March 28. A long-haul and a medium-haul aircraft remained in service for auxiliary flights, it said. Ryanair subsidiary Laudamotion is also ceasing to operate. Due to the rapid spread of the virus and government entry and exit restrictions, the Lauda flight program will be suspended until midnight on April 8, the airline said.

France imposed a 14-day curfew

France imposes a 14-day curfew on its citizens, which starts on Tuesday afternoon. People should only leave the house in urgent cases, Macron said. Only purchases, health care and the way to work are permitted if homework is not possible.

Portugal: Restrictions on travel to Madeira

Since March 13th, no aircraft from Germany have been allowed on the Madeira Island land. Flights from the mainland will continue. A 14-day mandatory quarantine applies to all arriving passengers. Education and cultural institutions as well as theaters, cinemas and museums throughout Portugal will remain closed until April 9th.

In addition, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Portugal has largely closed its external borders with Spain since Monday.

Netherlands: No trips abroad

The Netherlands has still opened its borders. However, the government has now made recommendations for its own citizens not to travel abroad.

Sweden: No trips abroad

The same applies to Sweden as to the Netherlands. Entry is still possible, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Swedish citizens against traveling to other countries.

Meanwhile, the Swedish shipping company Stena Line has stopped its passenger traffic between Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Germany and Latvia.

Greece: Entry into quarantine

Greece ordered compulsory 14-day quarantine for all people entering the country.

Malta: 14 days quarantine for Germans

A 14-day quarantine applies to all entries from Germany. In addition, numerous flights to and from Germany will be discontinued.

Cyprus: 14 days quarantine for Germans

Who from Germany to Cyprus travels, can expect to be in quarantine for 14 days because of the corona virus. A 14-day quarantine under medical supervision has even been ordered for travelers from Italy, South Korea and Iran, the Cypriot radio reported.

Slovenia

Slovenia: Increased entry controls and health checks at Ljubljana Airport. Germans without a residence in Slovenia must show a SARS CoV-2 negative certificate in Slovenian, Italian or English at the border, which must not be older than three days.

Spain imposes 15-day alarm condition

Spain has put the alarm on for 15 days. This limits freedom of movement across the country. Italian cruise ships and ferries are no longer allowed to call at Spanish ports.

Countries outside of Europe:

USA: Three states are considered risk areas

On Sunday, the Robert Koch Institute declared three U.S. states as risk areas: California, Washington and New York.

US President Donald Trump had previously put in place a 30-day entry ban from Europe. This also applies to Germans. Trump initially exempted Ireland and the UK from this ban, but revised this on Saturday. Trump also said at a press conference that he strongly advised against traveling abroad that is not absolutely necessary.

Russia: 14 days quarantine for Germans

Anyone from Germany to Russia travels, must independently perform a two-week quarantine. Upon arrival in the Russian capital, travelers should contact a hotline. So far, the provisions only apply to Moscow.

Israel: Quarantine here too

From Thursday evening (March 12th) no more tourists are allowed to come Israel enter – unless you can prove that you can quarantine for 14 days. The procedure, which already applies to Germans and some other foreigners, now affects all travelers. Tourists should be able to leave within a few days.

China

According to the Federal Foreign Office, Germans currently have to expect to be required to undergo a two-week quarantine when entering or after traveling within China. In particular, this happens when entering Shanghai. As of March 11, 2020, Beijing is subject to a quarantine requirement for travelers from all countries. From March 14, Hong Kong will impose a 14-day forced quarantine on anyone who has been in North Rhine-Westphalia in the 14 days prior to arrival.

South Africa no longer allows foreigners from risk areas to enter the country, Egypt cancels all flights

Given the spread of the new corona virus leaves South Africa no more foreigners from risk areas in the country. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday evening that from March 18 travelers from high-risk areas such as Germany, Spain, China, the United States, Italy or Iran would no longer be admitted. Visas already issued would be revoked.

Latin American countries close borders

• In Latin America, some countries have taken drastic measures in the coronavirus crisis. The presidents of Argentina, Peru, Panamas and Honduras each announced their borders to be closed on Sunday evening (local time) to their nations.
• Several states have now declared an emergency. Puerto Rico's Spanish-speaking suburb of Puerto Rico, Wanda Vázquez, imposed an island-wide curfew every night until March 30. According to President Lenín Moreno, people in Ecuador are only allowed to leave their homes for certain purposes on Monday.
• Colombia closed its border with Venezuela on Saturday. The local ruler Nicolás Maduro ordered a quarantine on Sunday in seven states of Venezuela, including the capital Caracas.
• Central America's El Salvador was the first country in the region to close its borders on Thursday. Several countries in the region had banned entry from the particularly affected Europe and some countries in Asia.
• Chile also wants to shoot its borders now. From Wednesday (March 18th), no more foreigners will be admitted to the South American country for 15 days. Chilean citizens must be quarantined for two weeks after entering the country.

Canada issues entry bans

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Canada also issued a ban on entry for foreigners on Monday evening. However, this initially does not apply to Americans, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a press conference in Ottawa on Monday. He called on all Canadians abroad to go home immediately: "When you are abroad, it is time for you to come home."

Returnees in particular would have to go into voluntary isolation. Canada and the United States share a border thousands of kilometers long and are closely linked economically. Trudeau called for solidarity with others: "Call your friends and family, think of your community."

Vietnam temporarily abolishes visa-free travel for German citizens

Nepal from Tuesday no longer issues visas for Germans directly on arrival.

In Vietnam Visa-free travel is temporarily suspended for travelers from Germany.

Egypt, Algeria and Jordan restrict air traffic on

In the Arab world, other countries are restricting air traffic due to the spread of the corona virus. Egypt announced that it will suspend all international flights from Thursday through March 31. This should prevent an outbreak, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbuli said on Monday. To date, 126 Sars-CoV-2 infections and two deaths have been reported in Egypt. "Citizens have a responsibility, they shouldn't act negligent or underestimate the situation," said Madbuli. With around 100 million inhabitants, Egypt is the most populous country in North Africa. Around 20 million people live in the Greater Cairo area.

Algeria said to suspend all flights to and from Europe from Thursday. The government did not say how long this regulation would apply. 54 people are officially infected in Algeria. Courts should also no longer meet there for the time being, and prisoners can no longer receive a visit from relatives.

In Jordan All flights will be suspended for the time being from Tuesday. Returnees from abroad are quarantined there for 14 days in state-provided facilities and hotels. Jordan has reported a total of 18 cases, including six French and one British tourist.

The government of the Lebanon declares to close all borders, the country's only airport and ports in the country as of Wednesday. The regulation is valid until March 29th.

Europeans are no longer allowed to travel to India

India closes all of its museums and monuments, including the famous Taj Mahal mausoleum. All facilities have been instructed to close by March 31, Indian tourism minister Prahlad Patel said on Monday in the short message service Twitter.

Meanwhile, India announced that it would no longer allow travelers from Europe to enter the country from Wednesday. "The entry of passengers from the member countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and Great Britain to India is prohibited from March 18," said the Indian Ministry of Health on Monday.

Corona virus hits travel industry hard

The pandemic with the Sars-CoV-2 pathogen hits the tourism industry hard and unsettles many travelers who are asking themselves: Where can I go on vacation this year if the new corona virus spreads everywhere, for example in Italy and now also? in Germany?

"There will be a wait-and-see attitude in the next few weeks, and I think that's very reasonable," says tourism researcher Prof. Martin Lohmann. "In all likelihood, we will have a normal summer in which you can travel beautifully." "Many have already booked their vacation and will not undo it for the time being," says the expert from the NIT Institute for Tourism and Spa Research in Northern Europe in Kiel.

But what if I haven't booked a vacation yet? In principle, travelers have three options. First, you stay at home. Second, you plan your vacation in a country from which no infections have been reported – and hope that it stays that way. Thirdly, you are traveling to a region or country with Corona people and there you minimize the personal risk of infection.

You can read more about the coronavirus outbreak here in the news ticker.