U.S Travelers now Need to Show Proof of Being Fully Vaccinated to Enter Germany

113

Germany declared the United States a ‘high-risk’ country on Sunday, requiring American tourists to either be fully vaccinated or show proof they contracted COVID-19 and recovered to enter the country.

New Travel Guidelines

Travelers arriving from the U.S. can skip quarantine if they show proof they have received their final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before their trip or recovered from the virus, according to the German Missions in the United States.

Unvaccinated travelers will need to “demonstrate an important reason for entering Germany” or isolate for 10 days. In addition to showing proof of vaccination, travelers will have to fill out a digital registration. Children under 12 must quarantine for five days, but do not have to get tested to leave quarantine, according to the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Germany.

A Change in the Previous Norms

Previously, Germany welcomed American travelers who showed either proof of vaccination, proof of COVID-19 recovery, or proof of a negative PCR test or rapid antigen test. Germany first opened to U.S. tourists in June. The decision to categorize the U.S. as “high-risk” came after Germany determined the country was seeing a “particularly increased risk of infection.”

The U.S. has seen an uptick in coronavirus cases lately — largely attributed to the highly contagious delta variant — causing numbers to surge and more than 100,000 new cases to be recorded each day for much of the last couple of weeks, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC currently classifies Germany as a “Level 2” destination, indicating a “moderate level” of COVID-19 in the country. Still, the U.S. continues to restrict non-essential travel for non-U.S. citizens from several countries around the world, including Germany. Last month, the White House said there were no plans to lift international restrictions just yet, citing the spread of the delta variant, but the administration appears to be working on a plan to re-open international borders to fully vaccinated travelers.