Germany to relax COVID entry restrictions for summer

Pandemic restrictions for people entering Germany will be almost entirely dropped from the beginning of June, the health minister said Wednesday.

The relaxation of the rules will remain in place until the end of August.

Which entry rules are being relaxed?

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said that, as of next Wednesday, people entering Germany would no longer have to show proof of vaccination or negative test result or demonstrate a recent recovery from the coronavirus.

Currently such proof, known as the 3G rule, is still required for anyone over 12 years old to enter Germany.

"Until the end of August, we will suspend the 3G rule on entry," Lauterbach told the newspapers of the Funke media group.

From September, the path is less clear

It is not clear what will happen from September onward.

Stricter rules will remain in force for people entering from "virus-variant" areas. However, there have been no countries on Germany's "high-risk" list since early March.

Despite steadily falling case numbers of late, Germany's Constitutional Court last week approved rules making it compulsory for health workers to be vaccinated.

The top court rejected a complaint against the measure, arguing that it was important to protect vulnerable people in hospitals and care homes.

Earlier this month, Germany said it had no plans to lift the mask mandate for flights coming into the country despite new EU guidance.

jsi/rt (AP, dpa)