Under the current regime, you have to report to the county health department (Gesundheitsamt) and quarantine for 14 days, with a check from them every 2-3 days. Even if you do a test on arrival the requirement is not waived as the incubation period of the virus is that long. If you are coming from a red zone you have to show you have essential reasons to come to Germany.

Hello All,

I read lots of information on quarantine and tests for incoming passengers, but somehow I did not get any wiser. Can anyone help?

A relative living in Russia needs to come to Germany for an essential reason (medical treatment). From what I understand, there are two ways for him to avoid the German quarantine:

1) Get himself tested in Russia before departure and bring a negative test result.

What kind of document does he need to bring - the test result, or a doctor's certificate about him not having COVID based on that test? And if a doctor's certificate is needed, who should issue it - a doctor in his country of origin, or a doctor in Germany?

Does a foreign test result need to be translated into German, and does this translation have to be notarized in some way?

If he comes with a negative test result as required, can he immediately enjoy freedom, or does he have to submit the test result/certificate to the Gesundheitsamt and wait for them to give him an OK to leave quarantine?

2) Get himself tested after arrival in Germany

Official websites (e. g. in Hesse) say it's possible to have himself tested at the airport. How does this work in practice?

On arrival, he is supposed to go directly to his quarantine location - is he even allowed to visit the test center at the airport? Test results take 12 hours to develop, I suppose he has to stay quarantined during this time. Is he even allowed to go from the quarantine location back to airport to pick up his negative test result?

Thanks!

You need to do a PCR test in Russia and carry it with you. Testing in Germany on arrival is required within 72h. Both details need to be shared with the local Gesundheitsamt who then decides if the 14 day quarantine is required. Neither will automatically lift the requirement, it only helps the authorities to take a decision.

That�s not what the information on the websites for Bundesgesundheitsministerium and the airports read. It says that if you have a negative test result from your departure country, in either German or English language, and the time of the test is not more than 48 h before entry, you do NOT have to undergo the mandatory test within 72 h and do NOT need to quarantine. It does not, however, state if you need to submit such test result to the authorities or if it�s sufficient to check the appropriate box on the landing card that you had one taken no more than 48 h ago.

You are correct though that you need to have the test result handy in case the authorities want to verify the correctness of your statement. Based on what I read and heard on the German news, the mandatory tests are not being enforced upon entry and are done based on the honor system. That�s why you don�t need to do the test at the airport upon arrival and can go to your primary care physician instead within 3 days after arrival. If you don�t, you�re subject to a hefty fine.

I�m a dual US/German citizen and am flying to Germany for a visit tomorrow. Just had the COVID test done today and the result came a few hours later. I have no intention of taking another test in FRA based on the information provided by the authorities. Nothing suggests that you need to have both done or submit anything to the Gesundheitsamt. It even states that a negative test result won�t be reported to the authorities even when the test is taken in Germany. So if they don�t do it, why should I?

I have nearly the same understanding as whipwhitaker:
- Either you get a test 48h before entry. Negative PCR means you can bypass the quarantine. You must send the test and a form to the local Gesundheitsamt
- Or you arrive in Germany and must straight head to quarantine. You can break quarantine if you have a negative test performed 48h after entry. The test must be performed without breaking quarantine (meaning you can drive yourself to the test center but getting there on foot or via public transport is a no go). You must send the form and test result if applicable to the Gesundheitsamt
Either way I understand you must contact the Gesundheitsamt.

The airline will forward your landing card to the Gesundheitsamt, that is deemed sufficient as far as registration is concerned.

As for the actual test result, it does not say anywhere that it needs to be sent in. In fact, even if you do the mandatory test at the airport, it won�t get reported to the Gesundheitsamt. I doubt they want thousands of people contact them individually. But I will ask the Bundespolizei when I get there tomorrow and report back.

To clarify, I did not look at the airline situation but at the land border one (by ICE/TGV). I am scheduled to go to France in 10 days and at the current rate, France will be over 50 new cases/100 000 hab over 7 days which is the threshold used by the RKI to put a country in high risk, so I am preparing myself for what I would likely have to do.

Update as of 8/14 for those who are interested: the wife and I landed in FRA and had to present our U.S. marriage certificate at border control (wife is a U.S, I�m a German citizen). The document was not legalized with an apostille but no issues whatsoever. Right before baggage claim the COVID test team greeted us and asked if we had taken a test before departure. We showed them the Walgreens test result that was dated 8/12, no issues either. Grabbed our bags and had to show the test result one more time before exiting the testing area. No mandatory test or quarantine needed.

i specifically asked if we had to submit the test result to the authorities but only got shrugs in response. Based on that I won�t waste my time making phone calls � if there was such a requirement, they would�ve told us there and then.

You have to report to the Gesundheitsamt in your county. None of the measures you took waive that requirement. If they accept whatever you have then the quarantine requirement is waived. But the decision needs to be taken by the Gesundheitsamt in the county you are in. Yes its an honor system, so open to abuse.

Please quote the basis for your statement. Unless you do, I call BS on thousands of people having to individually contact the authorities. The airline submits your landing card to them and that�s that. Besides that, no abuse happens if you test negative on either side of the border.

https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/e...lt/coronavirus

The Covid page of various Lander is also clear that Oliver2002 is correct, for example my home Lander, Rheinland Pfalz :
https://corona.rlp.de/de/themen/coro...r-einreisende/

Acknowledging/assuming that all three of us are native speakers, exactly where does it say in that quote that a negative test result must be submitted to the Gesundheitsamt?

Quote: �Von dieser Pflicht ausgenommen sind Personen, die sich in dem Zeitraum von 48 Stunden vor der Einreise oder innerhalb von 72 Stunden nach der Einreise testen lassen und ein negatives Testergebnis vorlegen k�nnen.�

Quote: �Reisende aus Risikogebieten sind verpflichtet, sich unverz�glich nach R�ckkehr beim zust�ndigen Gesundheitsamt zu melden und dort auch Angaben �ber m�gliche Symptome und einen Test machen�

If that�s what you guys are referring to, these items are covered on the landing card which is submitted to the Gesundheitsamt by the airline and such submittal, according to this, fulfills the reporting requirement.

�Sie reisen aus einem Risikogebiet nach Deutschland ein? Dann m�ssen Sie einen negativen Corona-Test vorlegen oder sich direkt nach Ankunft nach Hause - oder an Ihren Zielort - begeben und zwei Wochen lang isolieren (h�usliche Quarant�ne). Und Sie m�ssen sich sofort bei Ihrem zust�ndigen Gesundheitsamt melden. Das Corona-Testergebnis darf h�chstens 48 Stunden alt sein. Falls im Flugzeug, Schiff, Bus oder Zug bei der Einreise aus einem Risikogebiet Aussteigekarten verteilt wurden, gen�gt es, die Aussteigekarte auszuf�llen und beim Bef�rderer abzugeben.�
https://www.bundesgesundheitsministe...-reisende.html

And finally, regarding reporting obligations:
�Meldepflichtig gem�� � 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 Buchst.t IfSG ist der Verdacht einer Erkrankung, die Erkrankung sowie der Tod in Bezug auf die Coronavirus-Krankheit-2019 (COVID-19).�
https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/...g_Meldung.html

Not sure where you�re reading that a negative test result must be submitted.

I am not a native speaker !
So any misinterpretation is possible coming from me.

While I have huge respect for oliver2002, I do not see how he is correct here. Your quote clearly states that persons who made a test within 48 hours before entry and got a negative result, are exempted from the quarantine. To me, it clearly means they are not at the mercy of the Gesundheitsamt here. Although the Gesundheitsamt needs to be informed.

Are there any special rules for daytrips to high risk areas?

I have a daytrip booked to Mallorca (FRA-PMI-FRA) in about a week and am leaning towards flying. The current rules demand a test done no more than 48h before arrival in Germany with a negative result in order to avoid being quarantined.

With a daytrip, it means I can make a test in Germany before departure to Mallorca, then go to Mallorca and back, then present this German test as a proof of not needing a quarantine. This is of course absurd (the test would be done before I even entered the high risk area), but the wording of German regulations seems to allow it. Am I correct here?

Is a test/quarantine needed at all in case of a daytrip? After all, the 48h requirement means the risk of the traveler getting infected within the last 48h of his trip and not getting caught on return is accepted. So what if the whole trip takes way less than 48h - is a test needed at all? I would be leaving the airport in PMI in order to go to the beach, and am not doing an open jaw, so I cannot pretend this is a "connecting flight" exempted from the quarantine requirement.

Any insights? Thanks!