I'm travelling by train from Zurich to Prague, passing through Austria and Germany, all within one day. Do I need 3G? Do they check 3G on the train? According to the rules on the www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de page, 3G is still required to enter Germany.

But the same page has an exemption for "persons who, in the context of border traffic, will be spending a maximum of 24 hours in Germany". What does "in the context of border traffic" mean?

But then it also says that passengers who are simply changing flights at an airport in Germany still have to comply. I'm not flying, but wouldn't most people just changing flights stay less than 24 hours? So when does the 24 hour exemption apply and when does it not?

So, I'm going to Germany for a month in May and will be in a bunch of places (basically all major cities plus Bremen if that doesn't count as a major city, IDK). What is the current status re: vaccine passports. I am triple vaxxed and can provide proof via the US card and the California app, but it appeared that at some points at least some states in Germany (including baden wurttemberg and berlin where I will be going) required that you have the EU pass.
I was planning to do a quick trip to a French pharmacy to get an EU pass, but now that France doesn't have a covid pass requirement any more.
Does anywhere in Germany still require the EU pass or can I get away with either the physical US card and/or the CA app (which has a barcode that won't scan with the EU app).
If so, and I will ask the France thread if the answer to the above is "yes," does anyone know if you can get a pass at a French Pharmacy still?

Depends what/where you plan to go or do. In my daily life, I don't use the QR code anymore, and hardly need a mask. Most restrictions were lifted beginning of the month. Restos, fitness studios, cultural events, stores, municipal pools, hotels....none of the QR code stuff anymore....

Are you allowed entry into Germany with just two Pfizer doses?

Yes, that fulfills the requirement of being fully vaccinated.

https://www.germany.info/us-en/coronavirus/2317268

Entered Germany at MUC this morning (final destination CGN). I presented my CDC vaccination card which shows my two Modern shots in April, 2021 and May, 2021 along with a negative PCR test from 4/13. The agent did not want to let me in the country as she claimed a new law said my doses had to be within 9 months and because I wasn't boosted the vaccinations were insufficient. She said my PCR test didn't matter. Eventually she asked if I'd had COVID and once I showed her my positive test result from January, 2021 she let me in.

Research prior to my trip along with research after this encounter failed to show any 9 month shot validity requirement. Even so, guess I should get boosted when I get home.

You shouldn't need anything. According to this, travelling to Germany from Switzerland currently requires no 3G proof (this applies only to origin countries on the high risk list, and there are currently none): https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/f...97140bodyText3

Note that currently an FFP2 mask must still be worn on public transport when travelling through Bavaria - not sure whether it also applies in BW, depending on your entry point.

Interesting, and fortunate that you happened to have something that was acceptable to the border officer. I and several of my family members have entered Germany at MUC at different times in the last month or so (non-EU citizens travelling from outside EU) and none of us has been asked to show our proof of vaccination.

According to this page the requirement for a third dose of vaccine doesn't even come into effect until 1 October: https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/f...97140bodyText3

Is there something written elsewhere that contradicts this?

Eh?

I just arrived at MUC today. Pfizer (both doses) were a year ago, booster last October.

Passport control didn't even want to see my vaccination card. They were more interested in why I was there and where I was going. The typical pre-COVID line of questions.

Lufthansa at EWR on the other hand, called me up to the counter several times to check my vaccination status. It was getting annoying.

I know rules will change between now and later this year when I get back to Germany, but I'm researching the current requirements and it appears Germany no longer recognizes J&J/Janssen as a full immunization against Covid-19? Am I reading this right?

The rules say you must have a full two shots to qualify as immunized through Sept 30, 2022. There is no mention of one shot vaccines unless you have a single shot plus proof of being sick. I last went to Germany in October and the single shot vaccine was acceptable.

So if I'm reading this right and someone has the J&J/Janssen vaccine only then the following is true:
1. They must get at least one shot of Pfizer/Moderna before traveling to Germany and this will only allow entry through Sept 30, 2022.
2. At least two months after the dose from above, another Pfizer/Moderna dose is required to qualify for entry into Germany starting October 1, 2022.

Is this correct? (Note: I believe there are ways to test out of this using PCR/antigen tests but my comments deal solely with what Germany now considers "fully vaccinated").

Thanks,
-RM

yeah, that's what i'm worried about. my booster is more than 9 months old, so it's expired. and i got covid already in jan 2022, so i don't really want to get another booster. but i guess i will.

As you point out things keep changing so my comment is mostly related to the current rules with some history for colour.

Today "fully vaccinated" is a two dose vaccine course completed at least two weeks ago.

If you had J&J as your first shot then you need one of the others as your second.

For a while there was an expiry on two dose of 9 months, so a third booster shot was required if your initial course was that far in the past. The booster never had an expiry date.

That seems to have been walked back to what I described above, at least for now. Expect it to change again by the time you travel.


As mentioned above, Germany never had an expiry for boosters, only the initial two dose course.

Where do you read that the second dose on top of a first J&J must be “one of the others”?

My reading of the rules and the actual law is that you need two doses of an approved vaccine, and J&J is one of the approved vaccines.

In US terms, a second dose of J&J is approved as a 1st booster choice, and people who chose J&J as their booster (rare and not recommended by the CDC if mRNA vaccines are available) would qualify as fully vaccinated in Germany.

(To be clear, I am not suggesting that RobOnLi should get another J&J vaccine)

Sorry, got my wires crossed.

For the second dose, an mRNA is recommended but not required.

For boosters (third, fourth etc) again an mRNA dose is recommended. In Germany you would/should only be offered an mRNA for boosters.

For the US:

FDA authorization for 2nd boosters is only for Pfizer and Moderna. For first booster (which in case of a first dose J&J would be the second shot) CDC recommendation is mRNA, but J&J is authorized.