- Germany approved a plan to replace its blanket travel warning for 31 European countries with individual country-level travel advice
- The German Foreign Ministry announced the change takes effect from June 15, covering all EU states, Schengen-associated countries, and the UK
- For the rest of the world, Germany's travel warnings remain in place until further notice, pending a European Commission decision
Germany has approved a plan to scrap its blanket travel warning covering 31 European countries, including the United Kingdom, and replace it with individual travel advice for each affected country, effective June 15.
The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision through an official press release, noting that the existing warning against travel to EU member states, Schengen-associated countries, and the UK would be lifted on that date.
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"The global travel warning will be lifted from June 15 for the EU, Schengen-associated countries and the UK and replaced by travel advice for individual countries," the Ministry wrote in a thread on its official Twitter account.
Countries covered by the new policy
The 31 countries that will transition from a blanket warning to individual travel guidance are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The Ministry cautioned travellers planning trips to any of these destinations to observe health measures put in place by host countries, warning that entry and quarantine rules could change without prior notice and with immediate effect.
Travel warnings remain for the rest of the world
Outside Europe, Germany's travel warnings stay in force until further notice. The Foreign Ministry said travellers should still expect severe restrictions on international flights, widespread entry bans, quarantine requirements, and significant curbs on public life across many countries.
On third countries beyond Europe, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Germany was waiting on guidance from Brussels before making any further decisions.
"As regards third countries, we are waiting to hear the European Commission's decision this week on whether restrictions on entering Europe will be extended. We will address this as required in the coming week," Maas said.
The Ministry also pledged to monitor the reopening of tourism closely to ensure that the resumption of travel does not trigger a renewed spread of the coronavirus in Germany or across its European neighbours.
On the border front, Germany had already abolished controls with Luxembourg on May 16 and eased entry restrictions for Swiss and Austrian nationals the following day. However, border controls with France, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as on incoming flights from Italy and Spain, were set to remain in place until June 15.
Controls at the border with Denmark were to continue pending agreement with the Danish government on a specific end date.
Germany lists 7 visa types
Legit.ng earlier reported that Germany has officially outlined seven visa categories available to foreign nationals for which there is no legal requirement to demonstrate German language skills, offering a clear pathway for those looking to relocate without prior knowledge of the language.
Source: Legit.ng