Beginning Friday, June 25, Germany will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated leisure travelers from several non-European Union (E.U.) countries, the German Interior Ministry announced Thursday.
That includes immunized visitors from the United States, many of whom are eager to take a European vacation this summer, since Germany dropped the U.S. from the list of countries it considers high-risk on June 13. Up until now, only those who could prove they had an urgent or exceptional need to travel could apply for entry into Germany.
Germany's ban on travel and transport from high-risk countries where viral variants of concern are rampant (listed here) will continue in full effect, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Alina Vick told Stars and Stripes.
As of June 25, nonessential travel from the U.S. and seven other non-E.U. countries, regions and territories (Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Lebanon, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong) can restart.
According to Germany's Foreign Office website, the government has already eliminated quarantine restrictions for Americans who can provide either proof of vaccination, proof of recovery from COVID-19 (at least 28 days, but no more than six months prior) or recent negative test results (PCR or antigen), as of today, June 20.
Vick said that vaccinated travelers would still need to provide proof of a negative PCR or antigen test and complete an online registration form, but Americans who'd been to Germany in recent weeks told Stars and Stripes that they had only been required to present their passport and CDC vaccination card upon entry.
Vaccinated foreign visitors must have received one of the vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Germany's medical regulator, the Paul Ehrlich Institute-the two-dose Moderna, Pfizer or AstraZeneca (not used in the U.S.) protocols or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In order to be considered fully vaccinated, at least 14 days must have elapsed since the recipient's final dose.
"By allowing entry of travelers who have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days before arrival, the Federal Government is implementing the amended Recommendation (EU) 2020/912 of the Council of the European Union," the German Interior Ministry wrote in a press release.
The European Council officially added the U.S. to its whitelisted countries on June 18, instructing all E.U. member nations to begin lifting restrictions on American leisure travelers.
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