Entry into Germany only with a negative COVID test. What about HGV drivers?

From August 1, entry into Germany is, in principle, only possible with a negative test result. This applies to persons travelling by road and by air.

Rapid antigen tests can be performed at the earliest 48 hours (PCR, LAMP, TMA tests 72h) before entering Germany. Rapid antigen tests must meet the WHO criteria, i.e. sensitivity o≥ 80%, specificity ≥ 97%. The test result must be in English, German, English, French, Spanish or Italian. Polish tests are recognized if their results are translated. The time is counted from the moment the sample was taken, not from the receipt of the result.
A negative test result when entering Germany is not required for:
– children up to 12 years of age;
– vaccinated persons (14 days after the administration of the last dose of a vaccine authorized in the EU);
– convalescents (from 28 days up to 6 months after the infection);
– persons professionally involved in transporting persons or goods;
– cross-border workers;
– persons crossing the border as part of local border traffic, up to 24 hours.
The EU COVID-19 Certificate can serve as confirmation of the holder’s vaccination or recovery status. Cross-border workers and persons in local border traffic do not have to have a negative test result when crossing the land border. However, if they arrive in Germany, they must either have a negative test result or use another exemption.
Entry into Germany from risk areas
From August 1, 2021, two kinds of risk areas are distinguished:
– high risk area (Hochrisikogebiet);
– area of variants of concern (Virusvariantengebiet).
The current list of risk areas is available in German and English at Instytutu Roberta Kocha.
Poland is not considered a risk area.
Entry from a high-risk area
A negative test result when entering Germany from a high-risk area is not required from:
– children up to 12 years of age;
– vaccinated persons (14 days after the administration of the last dose of a vaccine authorized in the EU);
– convalescents (from 28 days up to 6 months after the infection);
– persons professionally involved in transporting persons or goods;
Entry from an area of variants of concern
Entry into Germany from an area of variants of concern is, in principle, only possible for German nationals and residents. If you live in Germany, you should present your residence certificate (German: Meldebescheinigung). All persons entering an area of variants of concern must have a test result conducted 24 hours before entering Germany at the earliest (PCR, LAMP, TMA tests conducted up to 72h before entering) and must undergo a 14-day quarantine. It is not possible to shorten the quarantine. There is no quarantine exemption for those who have been vaccinated or for convalescents.
Cross-border workers or persons in local border traffic for up to 24 hours between an area of variants of concern and Germany have to perform tests twice a week. Persons who are professionally involved in transporting persons or goods must also have a negative test result and do not need to quarantine if their stay in Germany or in an area of variants of concern does not exceed 72 hours.