Before You Go

If you, like me, have been champing at the bit, eager to once again fly to Germany from the USA, it is now possible. While we don’t currently have truly ideal conditions, US-Americans are now taking long-haul flights across the Atlantic and landing in Frankfurt or Munich. Flying to Europe at this time is a personal choice that will depend on your individual/family situation.

Flying into Frankfurt am Main (FRA) with a view of the Main River and the European Central Bank tower. PHOTO: Hyde Flippo

But unlike in “normal” Before Time, international travelers now need to carefully plan ahead, anticipating possible regulatory hurdles and barriers that did not exist in the past. Besides making sure your passport is up to date, and booking your roundtrip flight, there are a few new essential things to consider in Covid times.

In communications with a friend from the San Francisco Bay Area, she impressed me with how vital trip preparation is for a flight to Germany and Europe now. Chris Hinz McGinnis, a retired investment banker, is a frequent traveler to Germany for whom Berlin is a constant. In fact she is in Berlin as I write this. When I asked Chris about this trip in the age of Covid, she told me, “First of all, I really sweated the entry requirements, especially since the US went into the high-risk category, and the extra step of registering and getting permission to enter was added shortly before my departure.” This from a seasoned traveler who normally hops on a plane to Germany with her husband several times a year! (For this trip she is traveling solo.)

Whereas we once knew the travel requirements for Europe (valid passport, 90 days visa-free, etc.), the ongoing pandemic means travelers now have to pay attention to possible new restrictions instituted by the US government and various European nations. And the EU is not uniform in this. Each country, including Germany, can set up its own rules within the EU guidelines. If your European itinerary includes any countries other than Germany, as in Chris’ case, you also need to comply with each country’s requirements. Learn more about that below.

CAUTION! While all of the information in this article was current on the date of publication, Covid-19 travel restrictions are a constantly moving target that can change rapidly. (As if to prove me right, only a few hours after I posted this article, the US government announced that beginning in November it would be lifting the ban on air travel to the US from Europe and other countries, with certain restrictions. See details below.) Before making any travel plans, and even after, you need to constantly monitor airline and government guidelines, both in the US and Europe.

Germany now rates the USA as “High Risk”
As of 15 August 2021, Germany’s Ministry of Health has classified the United States as a “high-risk area.” This means that travelers headed to Germany from the US face new restrictions. And that applies not just to US citizens. From the US German Embassy: “Travelers who have spent time in the US within 10 days prior to entering the Federal Republic of Germany will have to be a) fully vaccinated or b) need to demonstrate an important reason for entering Germany.”

Since classifying the US as a high-risk area, Germany now requires travelers from the US to complete an online digital registration form prior to departure. This online registration is free and fairly simple. (Avoid scam sites that charge for this!) Use only the official link (einreiseanmeldung.de, in English). Here’s what Chris said about this aspect of preparing for her trip: “The [online German registration] form was easy and basically asked for contact info, vaccination status, and where I would be for the first 10 days after entering Germany. (I gave two hotel addresses.) I got a file back immediately with a link to use to send a scan of my vax card. So I printed out the file, sent the scan and was good to go.”

US Requirements
From the US side, Germany is a destination currently (since 30 August 2021) classified by the US Department of State as Level 3 (Reconsider Travel). One could argue that many parts of the United States today are far more risky for coronavirus than Germany, but that is irrelevant for travelers subject to regulations determined by agencies in the US and Germany. The hoops you have to jump through to get to and from Europe are determined by forces beyond our control.

Even earlier, since 26 January 2021, the US has required travelers departing from Germany (and some other nations) to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test prior to boarding a flight back to the States. From the US Embassy in Berlin: “…all airline passengers to the United States ages two years and older must provide a negative Covid-19 viral test taken no more than three days before their flight departs.” Chris told me how she took care of that in advance: “I went online and booked a test at FRA for two days before I fly home. Couldn’t schedule a time, but they took my money and I will just drive up and get the test and hopefully have results in 12 hours (assuming I get to the test site before 3:00 pm on that day).” Remember when you could just show up at the airport on the day of your flight home? Not now.

Booking a Flight
Because of the pandemic your flight options may be much more limited than in pre-pandemic times. Choices of airports, airlines, flight times, etc. have yet to return to previous levels. That will hopefully improve with time, but if the US continues to restrict the entry of European citizens to the country, airlines may have problems filling transatlantic flights from Europe to the US, losing revenue and profitability. They could decide to cut back until there is more reciprocity from the US side. (See the update below!)

UPDATE: As of November 2021, fully vaccinated foreigners will be allowed to fly to the United States from Europe and other regions, but testing for Covid-19 will also be required before departure. US-bound air travelers will be required to show proof of vaccination and a negative test within three days before boarding their flight. (Unvaccinated American citizens overseas will have to clear even stricter requirements.) Airlines will also be required to collect contact information from passengers for a new US contact-tracing system. The new travel regulations apply only to air travel and not to land border crossings with Canada and Mexico.

Vaccine Requirements and Covid Testing
Although it is possible under certain conditions to fly to Germany without being vaccinated, that is really a bad idea. First, you will have to be tested and undergo quarantine after arrival. You’ll also be limited by where you can go after that. Restaurants, museums, and other venues in Germany are now requiring proof of vaccination for entry. (More on this below.) Second, you’re obviously at risk of getting infected.

Departure for Germany

If you’ve got all your ducks in a row, check-in and boarding should go smoothly. Did you…

1. Bring your CDC vaccination card?
2. Add a photo of the CDC card on your phone?
3. Complete your digital registration for Germany online?
4. Plan for your Covid test prior to flying back to the US?
5. Check in online with your airline 24 hours prior to departure?

Each airline has its own check-in process. Chris was flying on Lufthansa to FRA from SFO. “Lufthansa did not want that [digital] info, but there was a place on the LH website to give digital info, so I entered a scan of the vax card and also the digital registration file. At SFO, LH only wanted to see the vax card (and didn’t seem to know what the digital registration was).”

Arrival in Germany

Once you arrive in Germany, you need to go through customs, as usual, but nothing is “as usual” now. You’ll need to show your CDC vax card and your German digital registration printout (or on your phone). Your hotel will also want to see your vax card. (Unlike EU citizens, so far there is no way for Americans to get a digital certificate of vaccination.)

Here’s what Chris had to say about her arrival: “At customs in Frankfurt, I showed the original vax card and the digital registration, and I was in. The rental car people didn’t want to see anything. The first hotel asked for the vax card. They also asked if I had the Luca app, a German contact tracing app. When I said I did not have it, they gave me a paper form to fill out.” (See more about the Luca app below.)

While You’re There: The 3G/2G Rule

Once you arrive in Germany, even if you’ve been there many times before, you’ll encounter a few more surprises. For one thing, you’ll learn that when Germans talk about 2G or 3G these days, they are not referring to mobile phone service.

The Three Gs
Currently “3G” in Germany refers to the three Gs: geimpft (vaccinated), genesen (recovered), getestet (48-hour rapid antigen test). Until recently, the 3G protocol was pretty much in force nationwide, but since mid-September 2021, the German states (Länder) of Berlin, Hamburg, Rheinland-Pfalz, and Sachsen (Saxony) have introduced the 2G-Regel (2G rule) for entry to restaurants and various other venues. 2G refers to geimpft (vaccinated) and genesen (recovered), dropping the testing requirement of the 3G rule. The justification for 2G is simple: Unvaccinated people, tested or not, are much more likely to spread Covid-19. Not only that, but testing is expensive and burdensome. Exceptions are made under 2G for people who are not able to get vaccinated, but in general the 2G Rule means you can’t get into a concert, bars, restaurants, cinemas, or museums without showing proof of vaccination – and providing contact-tracing info.

The Luca App
Which brings us to the Luca contact tracing app. This German-made app is now in use in about 90 percent of Germany. (See the map below.) While the free “luca” app (lowercase L in the app itself) is not without its problems and critics, it is an option you may want to consider. It can greatly simplify your life in Germany by letting you avoid filling out a paper contact tracing form everywhere you go. It’s not required, but you may want the convenience it provides in navigating life in Germany today. You can download the Luca app from the Apple App Store or Google Play for free and see what you think.

The Luca app is useable in most of Germany, in the regions/states shown in dark on this map. IMAGE: luca-app.de

Based on my recent research, and from what Chris tells me, the Luca app comes up a lot as you go from place to place in a city, including Berlin. Chris writing from Berlin: “The museum I visited yesterday (Urban Nation) was using the Luca app, and when I didn’t have it, they asked me to fill in a contact form. One more different situation yesterday… I wanted to eat inside at a restaurant. So they wanted to see my vax card (or a PCR test, or proof of recovery). No mention of the Luca app, but they brought me a contact form to fill in at the table. My phone’s memory is so full that I am reluctant to download any apps unless they are essential. Every time Luca has been mentioned, the alternative was filling in a form so they could contact me if necessary. So no, it’s not essential.”

However, many restaurants, museums, stores, and other locations in Germany display a sign at the entrance with a QR code for the Luca app. It checks you in, sets a timer, and checks you out when you leave. That makes it even easier to make use of the app and avoid filling out contact forms all the time.

Masks in Germany
Despite a few crazy Querdenker (think anti-mask and QAnon) types like Nena and many far less famous people, Germans are pretty good about wearing masks and doing contact tracing. Masks indoors are now normal, and sometimes even outdoors in crowded conditions. A normal surgical mask works in most places, but a few may require an FFP2/N95 mask. Plain cloth masks are not accepted! Leave those at home.

Here’s what Chris says about mask use in Germany: “At my first hotel’s breakfast buffet, all was normal, but everyone wore masks at the buffet and kept their distance when getting food. As far as masks go, I’ve only seen a couple of random young people not wearing them on public transport and in the stations. Everyone else uses them religiously on public transport.”

Chris adds this about Covid masks and distancing in Berlin: “In stores, all wear masks, but sometimes the store workers are behind plastic and not wearing masks. But out on the street nobody wears a mask. (And of course there are lots of masks thrown on the ground as trash, just like in the US.) If I meet friends and they do not know if I’m vaccinated, it’s always a fist bump until we all determine each others’ status, ha ha. It feels very safe, and most people on public transport wear the FFP2/N95 masks, but normal surgical masks are tolerated. I’m going to sign up online to visit a museum, as they are doing 50% capacity.”

Note: In some parts of Germany (Bavaria for one), N95 masks are required on public transport and some other places. Enforcement may vary from place to place. You should definitely bring along some surgical and N95 masks for your trip, but they are readily available in Germany at reasonable prices from grocery stores, Drogerien (drugstores), and Apotheken (pharmacies).

Chris landed at Berlin’s new Berlin Brandenburg Airport – Willy Brandt (BER) for the first time. Many of us are looking forward to doing the same. PHOTO: Chris Hinz McGinnis

Beyond Germany

If you’re planning on visiting any other countries besides Germany, you’ll need to jump through those hoops separately. As mentioned above, each country has its own rules and forms. Chris wants to visit Croatia, so she had to plan for that beyond what would have been the case a couple of years ago.

What did she have to do? In her own words: “Croatia has an entry form that I was able to fill out online and print before I left the US, as opposed to most countries that require that you fill it in within 72 hours before the flight or arrival in country. Croatia also requires proof of payment of one night’s hotel stay, but the entry form merely required the name and address of the hotel. I uploaded my vax card, as well. Croatia’s form was easier and quicker than Germany’s digital registration form, and I could do it well in advance.”

Returning to the US

If you have followed these guidelines, returning to the US will be the easiest part of your trip. You’ve already arranged for your Covid-19 test at your airport of departure. You’re all set to go.

I hope you will find the information above helpful for your next Germany visit in these interesting times! I want to thank Chris Hinz McGinnis for her invaluable help as someone who has now been there and done that – successfully! Also see the helpful links below, in addition to those included above in the text.

Gute Reise! Bon voyage! Have a great trip!

– HF

Useful Covid/Travel Links:

• Covid-19 Country Specific Information from the U.S. Department of State for Austria, Croatia, Germany, Switzerland, and all other nations
• CDC: Destinations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Health advisories for all countries
• RKI: Daily Updates from the German CDC-equivalent, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), in English (overview), plus testing and other information