Restrictions will be relaxed: easier entry from Portugal and Great Britain

As of Wednesday, Portugal and the UK will no longer be considered virus variant areas. The federal government is downgrading them and three other countries – there are no longer any strict quarantine requirements for those returning to travel.

The federal government is easing the entry restrictions imposed on Portugal, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Russia, India and Nepal because of the spread of particularly contagious corona variants. On Wednesday, the five countries will be downgraded from virus variant area to high incidence area, as announced by the Robert Koch Institute.

This means that entry into Germany is possible again for all groups of people. For those who have been completely vaccinated and those who have recovered, the quarantine obligation is no longer applicable, for everyone else it is shortened.

No transport ban

India had already been classified as a virus variant area at the end of April, Nepal and Great Britain followed in May, the EU country Portugal and Russia only followed on June 29. In this highest corona risk category, there are drastic entry restrictions. Airlines, bus and train companies are not allowed to transport people from virus variant areas to Germany unless they are German citizens or have a place of residence in Germany. Anyone entering Germany from virus variant areas must also be in quarantine for 14 days – even if he or she has been fully vaccinated or has recovered.

With the downgrading to a high incidence area, the ban on transport is no longer applicable, so entry to Germany is basically possible again for all persons using all means of transport. Those who have not been vaccinated or recovered only have to be in quarantine for ten days, but can shorten it to five days with a second test.

Step was already announced

Chancellor Angela Merkel had already announced the travel facilitation last week, but without naming all countries and a specific date. Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn also announced a few days ago that countries such as Great Britain and Portugal would soon be downgraded from their status as virus variants to high incidence areas if the delta proportions in Germany were comparable.

In the meantime, this variant is also widespread in Germany, even if the number of infections here is significantly lower than in Portugal and Great Britain. With the downgrading of the five countries, the number of virus variant areas will drop again from 16 to 11. The remaining countries include Brazil, Uruguay and South Africa.