Germany extends ban on tourists until June

Braddenburger gate
Germany's warning against non-essential travel has been extended to June Credit: Getty

Germany is to extend its warning against all foreign travel until June 14, according to a draft decision by its Foreign Office.

The country’s Federal Foreign Office banned all non-essential and tourist travel on March 17, a measure that was later extended until May 3 alongside the nation’s social distancing measures. Germany now plans to continue the ban until further notice, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel.

The extension will be discussed at a German cabinet meeting on April 29 and will not be lifted until June 14, at the earliest.

British holidaymakers will be unable to return to Germany before June. The UK's Foreign Office website states: "Germany has intensified border controls at airports and land borders. Unless travellers are resident in Germany, can demonstrate a compelling reason for their travel to Germany, or are border workers commuting between Germany and neighbouring countries, they will be refused entry." 

It continues: "If you intend to fly to Germany, check with your airline before you travel and ensure you bring any supporting documents you need to justify your travel. If you are transiting through an airport in Germany in order to travel to the UK, you will need to have onward travel, and, if necessary, temporary accommodation booked before you will be permitted to enter Germany."

Franz Josef Strauss airport
Munich's Franz Josef Strauss international airport is deserted in late April Credit: Getty

Anyone who returns to Germany from abroad is required to go into quarantine for 14 days.

The German government continues to evaluate its travel warning and aims to coordinate with neighbouring EU countries. The Austrian government has discussed agreements with individual countries, including the possibility of permitting travel between Austria and Germany. 

Germany's travel warning aims to reduce the spread of Covid-19 and to stop German holidaymakers becoming stranded abroad.

The country started a mass repatriation effort in March that saw 225,000 German nationals returned to the country as the coronavirus outbreak worsened and borders closed across the world. Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said there will not be a second repatriation effort. He has also warned on a number of occasions that the summer holiday plans of German citizens would not be able to take place as usual.

The travel ban extension comes as the country’s health authorities have urged Germans to stay at home after a key measurement of the coronavirus outbreak briefly rose above government targets.

berlin streets
Germany has taken steps towards easing its lockdown Credit: Getty

Germany’s reproduction factor – the average number of people each infected person passes the virus on to – rose to 1 on the evening of April 27 before falling back to 0.9 on April 28.

Angela Merkel has acknowledged that the reproduction factor is a crucial factor in deciding to lift Germany’s lockdown. Its government scientists have declared keeping it below 1 as a key target.

German began to ease lockdown measures last week with shops allowed to reopen. However, Mrs Merkel had criticised the country’s regional governments for lifting lockdown rules too early.

Germany had 159,934 confirmed cases of Covid-19 as of April 29 and had recorded 6,314 deaths from the virus. The country has a much lower death rate than its European neighbours and one of the lowest in the world, according to research from John Hopkins University in the US.

License this content