Germany Lifts Global Travel Ban, Issues Europe Warnings

Berlin, Germany

Germany has lifted a general Covid-19 travel warning announced in March for some 160 non-EU territories while issuing partial or full travel restrictions for more than 10 European nations.

The country lifted its regulation against travel to countries outside the EU on October 1 despite a surge in coronavirus cases across Europe.

Under the new regulation, German nationals will be able to travel as long as the prevalence of the virus is below a given threshold, and will be able to return to Germany without being required to self-isolate.

At the same time, in view of increasing infection rates across Europe, the foreign ministry extended an existing warning for 11 European countries considered high risk, including parts of Belgium, Wales, Northern Ireland, Gibraltar, Iceland, the French regions Pays de la Loire and Burgundy, Lithuania, Estonia, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Romania.

Tegel Airport, Berlin. Photo Source: @Berlin Airport – SXF & TXL

Germany said the warning is not a travel ban, but is aimed at discouraging travel and giving holidaymakers the chance to cancel or reschedule their bookings free of charge.

In the meantime, Germany has put special provisions in place for Turkey. There are almost 4 million citizens of Turkish descent living in Germany today.

With regard to international travel, besides lifting the warning for 160 countries, Germany said it would be assessing each country individually. Under the German classification system, high-risk are those countries or territories recording 50 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days.