SA Status - Not listed (Kein Risikogebiet)
Updated 11.08.2022
The Federal Ministry of Health has an English page with all the rules for entry into Germany – dated 11.06.2022 and still current
Travel ban
“Lifting of COVID-19-related restrictions for entry into Germany
From Saturday, 11 June 2022, all COVID-19-related restrictions for entry into Germany have preliminarily been lifted. Travel from South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho and Mauritius to Germany is now permitted for all travel purposes (including tourism and visits). For entry into Germany, no proof of vaccination, recovery or testing is required any longer.”
Please visit the website of the German Embassy in South Africa for more information
see also Entry regulations – Federal Foreign Office
Check list when flying to Germany
- 1. Health Questionnaire South Africa - Fill out a Health Questionnaire (for South Africa ) and hand it when checking in at the Airport - this is listed as a requirement but nobody at O.R Tambo asks for it anymore
- 2. Proof of Vaccination or neg Test - see details info
1. Health Questionnaire South Africa
You have to fill out a health questionnaire and be subjected to screening before leaving South Africa. This is still listed on the official sites as a requirement, but experience has shown that nobody asks for it at O.R Tambo airport. Might still be worth it to fill it in and print it out just in case. I do not know if they ask for it at other airports.
2. Proof of Vaccinations or a negative Covid-19 Test
AS of 1 June 2022, you do not have to provide proof of Vaccination or a negative test to travel to Germany. The only exception is when you travel from a virus variant country.
Important!!! Some airlines still require you to be vaccinated or have a negative test, so please confirm with your airline.
A list of where to get tested in SA can be found on the Department of Health website.
Other options are Pathcare, Lancet, Ampath and travel doctor.
In this article, you can find more links to where to get tested.
What is seen as proof of vaccination?
In Germany, up to and including September 30, 2022, there is no regulation that limits the recognition period for vaccination certificates. Only a technical expiry date of 12 months is stored in the CovPass and Corona-Warn-App, but this currently has no practical effects.
A booster vaccination within Germany currently has no influence on the validity of the vaccination certificate.
A person is currently considered to be fully vaccinated with either two doses of vaccine or one dose plus a recovered infection. A medical certificate on paper or digitally (e.g. CoV-Pass app for smartphones) in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish is accepted as proof of a complete vaccination. An overview of which vaccines are approved* in Germany and abroad is available from the Paul Ehrlich Institute.
After what period of time the full vaccination is valid:
- after two doses of vaccine: after 14 days
- after infection and after a dose: immediately
- after a dose and subsequent infection: from the 29th day
Attention: Anyone who has been vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) now needs a second vaccination to be considered fully vaccinated.
Updated information can be found on the Health Ministry website as well as the Paul Ehrlich Institute website. Also see the “Act on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases in Humans (Infection Protection Act – IfSG) Section 22a Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination, Recovery and Testing; COVID-19 Certificates; Power to Issue Ordinances”
List of Variant/Safe Countries
The list is published on the website of the Robert Koch Institute.
You can also read more from the Auswärtiges Amt (Federal Foreign Office).
They will have the latest on what countries are considered safe and who can travel to Germany.
A very nice Summary (Welcome to Germany, Info for travellers) can be found here
More Information
- Einreisebeschränkungen – Auswärtiges Amt
- Federal Ministry of Health FAQ
- Regeln in den Bundeslandern
- Aktuelle Information für Reisende (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit), The English site
- There is also a FAQ page of the BMI in German
- FAQ from the Bundespolizei
Summary from the "Bundesregierung"
- Verordnung zum Schutz vor einreisebedingten Infektionsgefahren in Bezug auf das Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung – CoronaEinreiseV) 29.09.2021
- Erste Verordnung zur Änderung der Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung
Vom 8. November 2021 - Zweite Verordnung zur Änderung der Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung
Vom 22. Dezember 2021 - Fünfte Verordnung zur Änderung der Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung
Vom 22. Mai 2022
Related content
Travel in the Schengen Area
Travel within the Schengen Area “The Schengen Area is an zone made up of 26 European states which have officially abolished passports and other types of border control at their mutual
COVID- 19 Travel from Germany to South Africa
Updated 23 June 2022 As of 04 April, the National State of Disaster in south Africa was terminated. See the statement by President Ramaphosa. The rules for inbound travelers have
RKI Feed
- Tagesreport aus dem DIVI-Intensivregister 30/09/2022
- Tagesdaten-CSV aus dem DIVI-Intensivregister 30/09/2022
- RKI-Ratgeber Tollwut 29/09/2022
- Antivirale Therapie in der Frühphase einer SARS-CoV-2-Infektion 10/02/2022