Travel within the EU is largely possible again from today (June 15). The travel warning only applies to four European countries.
- The global travel warning about the corona pandemic has been lifted for many EU countries since June 15th.
- Holidaymakers can now travel to at least some popular holiday countries again.
- The federal government extended the travel warning for non-EU countries until the end of August ( see entry on June 9 ).
- Here you will find the basic facts about the corona virus * and the corona news from Germany. You can also find current case numbers in Germany here as a map *. The following recommendations for corona protective measures * are currently available.
Update of June 15, 7:59 a.m .: After three months with a worldwide travel warning , the Federal Government has lifted this warning at least for most EU countries and has given the starting signal for summer vacation from the Adriatic to the Algarve. Since midnight on Monday, the Federal Foreign Office has no longer warned of travel to 27 European countries on its website.
Corona virus: Travel warning falls for 27 EU countries - including some major holiday countries
These include some of the main holiday destinations for Germans such as Italy, Austria, Greece, France and Croatia . At the same time, the last checks at German borders with neighboring countries also fell. Many other EU countries also wanted to lift existing entry restrictions on Monday. This means that tourist traffic in Europe largely normalizes on time for the holiday season, but not yet completely.
Four EU countries still have to wait for the travel warning to be lifted, including the Germans' most popular holiday destination: Spain . As in Finland, Sweden and Norway, there is still an entry ban . In Spain, however, the government decided to move the border opening, which was previously planned for July 1, to June 21. From then on, the 14-day quarantine that previously applied to foreigners should also be abolished. A first test is already running as of Monday: up to 10,900 holidaymakers from Germany should be allowed to fly to Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands.
Coronavirus: Spain wants to open its borders earlier than planned
Update of June 14 : Spain wants to open its borders to travelers from the EU earlier than planned . With the exception of Portugal, border controls on all EU countries ceased to apply on June 21, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Sunday in a television speech. For Portugal , controls will remain in place until July 1 , as was originally planned for all other EU countries. From June 15, the federal government's travel warnings for large parts of Europe will cease to exist - but several ministers are apparently concerned themselves.
Update from June 13, 4:29 p.m .: On the night of Saturday, another EU country ended its border controls:
Poland opens its borders to EU countries: tourists on the island of Usedom
© dpa / Stefan Sauer
The borders of Poland to all neighboring EU countries have been reopened since the night of Saturday . First pictures of the Polish side of the island of Usedom show tourists on the beach - and maybe offer a view of new summer vacation destinations that so far had few on the screen.
Update from June 12, 10:22 p.m .: Norway wants to reopen the borders on Monday - with one small exception. Travelers could easily get to Norway from Denmark, Finland and Iceland, but there are regional regulations for Sweden. For the time being, only visitors from the island of Gotland are allowed to enter because the infection situation in the other regions of Sweden is not yet "acceptable".
Norway is not a member of the EU, but of the Schengen area, within which, as of Monday (June 15), cross-border travel should again be possible.
Corona virus: Checks at the border with France are no longer required
Update of June 12, 4:43 p.m .: In a conference call, the presidents of the federal police departments agreed on Friday to end the controls at the French border . "The controls will end at the end of Sunday," a spokesman told the German Press Agency. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) had already announced the opening.
" We are very relieved that the controls are coming to an end, " says the federal police with satisfaction, "that means a bit more normality." At pandemic weddings, many - especially smaller - border crossings were completely closed . Only those who could show a valid reason were allowed to enter the country. From Monday (June 16) , the controls will also be history in an unsystematic form.
Summer vacation despite Corona: Maas continues to warn against trips to Turkey - Erdogan government is bitter
Update of June 12, 8:47 a.m .: The reaction to the recent announcement by Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) is prompt: Turkey has been disappointed by the federal government's extended travel warning . Ankara expected Germany to lift it "at the earliest possible time," said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Cavusoglu to Spiegel .
Everything is prepared for a safe trip to Turkey. The measures taken by his country would be checked by TÜV Süd , among others . "The scientific reasons behind the decision are difficult for us to understand," said Cavusoglu.
Summer vacation despite Corona: Meuse careful when traveling to Turkey - "Check very intensively"
Update of June 11, 2:45 p.m .: Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas spoke to twelve EU colleagues after the video conference in front of the press. He was cautious and reluctant to travel outside the EU. He called it a success. that holidays in Europe will again be possible across borders from June 15, but the situation is "fragile". Maas warned the holidaymakers: "Enjoy your summer vacation - but enjoy it with caution and responsibility."
For third countries , a travel warning initially applies until August 31, but it will be flexibly reassessed depending on the country and region. The highest standard is the "safety of travelers". Talks will be held with authorities and governments and "very intensively examined" whether it is responsible to replace a travel warning with a travel advice . This procedure also applies to Turkey , the third most popular travel destination for Germans.
Criteria for assessing the corona situation include the number of infections in the country, the condition of the health system and the question of whether return flights are possible.
Maas also made it clear that a travel warning from the Federal Foreign Office was not a travel ban: "Everyone is responsible for a trip themselves". Travel advice from his office is only a "help" for the vacationers.
Summer vacation despite Corona? Travel warning extended to more than 160 countries
Update of June 11, 1:27 p.m .: While Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) is currently discussing with other EU foreign ministers about the imminent resumption of travel , the EU Commission has issued a recommendation on the currently still valid entry stop. According to the authority's advice, this should be extended until the end of June and then gradually lifted.
Corona crisis: EU Commission recommends gradual lifting of entry ban
By the end of June, the EU countries should draw up a list of countries for which the restrictions could be lifted on July 1, the Commission proposed on Thursday. However, she left open which countries that could be. The epidemiological situation in the countries and their response to the coronavirus should be the basis for the decision. In addition, the decision should take into account whether the country itself allows EU citizens to enter.
The EU Commission only made specific recommendations with a view to the six Balkan countries Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia . From 1 July onwards, the entry ban should be lifted because the epidemiological situation there is comparable to or better than the EU average.
Despite Corona: Commission recommends that intra-European border controls be lifted soon
According to the EU Commission, border controls within the EU should be lifted by next Monday (June 15) . EU Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson called on the EU and Schengen countries in Brussels on Thursday. It is in the good situation that the pandemic situation has improved significantly in all countries, said the Swede.
Update of June 11, 8.22 a.m .: Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) is advising Thursday, from 1 p.m., twelve of his European counterparts on the forthcoming resumption of European travel . According to the Federal Foreign Office, the ministers want to coordinate how cross-border travel in Europe can be carried out as safely as possible despite the corona pandemic. Health care and infection control measures should also be considered.
Corona and summer vacation: Meuse advises with European foreign ministers
The checks at the European internal borders are to be largely eliminated next Monday . Then the Federal Foreign Office also removes its travel warnings for the EU countries . In addition to Maas, the participants of the video conference are the foreign ministers of France, Italy, Austria, Greece, Bulgaria, Croatia, Malta, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Cyprus. Maas wants to speak to the press after the end of the conference (probably around 2:30 p.m.).
Update of June 10, 12:24 p.m .: After Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer announced that border controls on some neighboring German countries will be lifted, Heiko Maas has now also expressed his opinion. The foreign minister wants to quickly adapt Wednesday's travel warning for countries outside the European Union to changing conditions.
Corona / summer vacation: Germany extends travel warning - but Meuse gives hope
"We will therefore keep checking the travel warning again and again before September, always with the safety of travelers as a key criterion," said Maas on Wednesday. "Where - and only there - where the overall package of positive pandemic development, a stable health system, coherent security measures for tourism and reliable outbound and return travel options allows us, we may be able to return from a travel warning to travel advice earlier."
Update of June 10, 11:59 a.m .: The border controls in some neighboring countries of the Federal Republic will soon cease to exist . This was announced by Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer at a press conference. The border controls with France, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark will be lifted from June 15th .
The EU's freedom of movement has thus been restored, said the Interior Minister. If the situation "worsens contrary to expectations, we will consider what we are doing in the cabinet," said Seehofer.
The border controls to Spain cease to exist a week later ( June 21 ) because the Spaniards only lift their controls at this point. One acts on an equal footing, explained Seehofer.
By the way: While the population is mostly looking forward to more and more easing, the RKI reported a worrying R-value on Wednesday for the third day in a row.
Corona / summer vacation: Germany extends travel warning for over 160 countries
Update from June 9th: Holidaymakers in Germany will not be happy to hear that - at least if they plan to travel outside the European Union. The German government plans to extend the worldwide travel warning for more than 160 countries outside the EU until the end of August.
However, there are exceptions for individual countries if they meet certain criteria, reports the DPA . Before cruising the Foreign Office and the Home Office advises noisy image even further from urgently.
Until now, the worldwide travel warning was valid until June 15th. Now this will be extended until August 31st. From the point of view of the Interior and Foreign Ministry, a lifting is currently still too risky. "Agreements can then be negotiated with individual states to drop this warning," Der Spiegel quotes a government insider.
Coronavirus crisis: Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warns German vacationers
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas advises other EU foreign ministers about the upcoming border openings.
© dpa / Michael Kappeler
Initial report of 7 June: Berlin - According to Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD), the Federal Government in the summer vacationers with no coronavirus infections to Germany to retrieve . "Anyone who gets infected on vacation * cannot assume that we will bring him back to Germany," Maas told Bild am Sonntag . However, he added that the German diplomatic missions in "acute emergencies" would of course always be available to provide consular support. But he also emphasized: "The Federal Government will not be able to send airplanes again in the summer to bring German vacationers home."
Corona crisis: worldwide travel warning only valid until June 15th
On Wednesday, Maas announced that the global travel warning about the Coronavirus * pandemic would be lifted from June 15 - for the time being, however, only for many European countries. "We want to be able to rely on the fact that our citizens, when they travel, have the greatest possible security with a view to the spread of the virus *", affirmed Mass in the Bild newspaper.
The Foreign Minister left open when the travel warning will also be lifted for countries outside the EU, such as Turkey. “There are talks with the Turkish government. We will not maintain the travel warning in the long run, ”Maas said, adding,“ When the time comes, will depend on the course of the pandemic * . ”Maas also shared this via his Twitter account. Meanwhile, the CDU Berlin's Twitter account is causing criticism - it also comes from their own warehouse.
We have also decided that the cancellation of the #travel warning will continue to depend on how the local situation develops.
Because one thing must also be clear: There will not be a return campaign this summer, especially for vacationers in quarantine. (4/4)
Corona crisis: New travel warnings planned for violations of protective measures
Maas announced that it would very quickly issue new travel warnings against holiday countries in the event of violations of corona protective measures : “The distance and hygiene rules also apply to the hotspots. If they are not complied with, travel advice can turn into a travel warning, ”he emphasized.
For the return campaigns that have been running since mid-March, the big end for holidaymakers could now wave: the Federal Foreign Office wants to send invoices.
By the way: You can read all current developments on the topic of vacation despite the Corona crisis in the appropriate ticker at Merkur.de *. At Merkur.de * you can also read about the current easing in the various federal states since this Monday (June 8) .
Also interesting: Chancellor Angela Merkel also made her vacation plans pandemic-friendly. In a TV interview, she revealed where she wanted to spend her free time. Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) meanwhile announces a Corona app.
cia with AFP material
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
List of rubric lists: © dpa / Matthias Balk