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Information on the designation of international risk areas, Robert Koch-Institut



As of: 4 June 2021 The new “areas of variants of concern”, “high incidence areas”, “basic risk areas” and regions that are no longer considered to be basic risk areas (see below “Changes since last amendment”) are effective from Sunday, 6 June 2021, at 0:00. Changes since last amendment

  1. New areas of variants of concern – areas at particularly high risk of infection due to widespread occurrence of variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus: Uruguay is considered an area of variant of concern.

  2. New high incidence areas – areas at particularly high risk of infection due to a particularly high incidence of spread of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2: There have been no new high incidence areas since the last amendment (see current list below).

  3. New basic risk areas – areas at increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection: Lithuania is now considered a basic risk area (no longer a high incidence area). Norway – the counties Troms og Finnmark und Trøndelag are now considered basic risk areas. Sweden is now considered a basic risk area (no longer a high incidence area). Turkey is now considered a basic risk area (no longer a high incidence area).

  4. Regions no longer considered as risk areas: Austria – with the exception of the federal states Tyrol and Vorarlberg - is no longer considered a risk area. The municipalities Jungholz in Tyrol and Mittelberg/Kleinwalsertal in Voralberg are still not considered risk areas. Croatia – the counties Dubrovnik-Neretva, Istria, Karlovac, Krapina-Zagorje, Požega- Slavonia, Split-Dalmatia are no longer considered risk areas.

The Czech Republic is no longer considered a risk area. France – Corsica and the French overseas departments Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia, and New Caledonia are no longer considered risk areas. Italy is no longer considered a risk area. The Netherlands – the overseas parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba are no longer considered risk areas. Switzerland – the cantons of Aargau, Basel-City, Basel-Country, Graubünden, Solothurn, Ticino, Zug and Zurich are no longer considered risk areas. The Vatican City State is no longer considered arisk area. Classification as a risk area is the result of a joint analysis and decision-making process by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community. The countries/regions listed below are designated as currently presenting an increased risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2. In brackets, you will find the date from which the region was classified as a risk area. Persons entering by plane must – irrespective of whether or not they spent time in a risk area – present a negative test result or proof of vaccination or proof of recovery to their carrier prior to departure. Persons who have spent time in one of the risks areas listed below within the 10 days prior to entering the Federal Republic of Germany, must follow specific regulations.

  • Registration required: Travellers who spent time in a risk area are obliged to fill out the digital registration on entry at https://www.einreiseanmeldung.de and carry the confirmation with them when entering the country. The confirmation will be checked by the carrier and may also be checked by the Federal Police within the framework of its responsibilities as a border control agency.

  • Obligation to furnish proof: Travellers who spent time in a high-incidence area or area of variants of concern must, as a rule, already carry with them a negative test result on entry and, if demanded by the carrier, present this proof for the purpose of carriage. Travellers who spent time in a high-incidence area may also present proof of vaccination or proof of recovery. Without such proof, carriage is not possible. If entering Germany following a stay in a basic risk area, travellers must be in possession of a negative test result or proof of vaccination or proof of recovery within 48 hours of entry. The proof must be uploaded via the travel portal at https://einreiseanmeldung.de.

  • Obligation to quarantine: Travellers who have spent time in a risk area, must make their way directly to their home – or other place of accommodation at the destination – upon arrival and remain isolated there for a period of ten days (home quarantine). Persons who have spent time in an area of variants of concern prior to entry, must quarantine for 14 days.

  • Ending quarantine: Quarantine at home may be ended prematurely if proof of recovery, proof of vaccination or a negative test result is submitted via the Federal

Republic of Germany entry portal https://www.einreiseanmeldung.de. Quarantine can be ended in each case from the time the negative test result has been submitted. If you have spent time in a high incidence area prior to entry, the relevant test may not be conducted earlier than five days after entry. Following a stay in an area of variants of concern, the duration of quarantine may not be shortened. • For travellers entering Germany from so-called areas of virus variants of concern, a ban on carriage applies to the transport of persons from those countries into Germany by rail, bus, ship or plane. Special agreements under section 6 (2) sentence 1 number 2 of the Ordinance on Coronavirus Entry Regulations between the Federal Republic of Germany and national governments on site: • Currently no agreements within the meaning of section 6 (2) sentence 1 number 2 of the Ordinance on Coronavirus Entry Regulations exist with other countries. For more information on the foregoing obligations, exemptions and requirements regarding the relevant proof, go to: https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/service/gesetze-und-verordnungen/guv-19- lp/coronaeinreisev.html For additional information on the recognition of diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 for persons arriving in Germany from risk areas, go to: https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Tests.html Please note: The Federal Government examines, on an ongoing basis, the extent to which areas are to be classified as risk areas. As a result, this list can be modified at short notice and, above all, may be extended. The existing travel and safety advisories by the Federal Foreign Office (https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-und-sicherheitshinweise) as well as the Federal Government’s information for travellers and commuters (https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/coronavirus/corona-regelungen-1735032) remain unchanged. Classification as a risk area is the result of a joint analysis and decision-making process by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community. The classification as a basic risk area is based on a two-step assessment. The first step is to determine the countries/regions in which there were more than 50 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the previous seven days. In a second step, qualitative and other criteria are used to determine whether or not countries/regions that might nominally exceed or fall below this threshold, could nonetheless still present an increased risk of infection. Since the 44th calendar week, particularly the map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), broken down by region, has been taken into account for the EU Member States. This map contains data on the rate of new SARS-CoV-2 infections, test positivity and the testing rate. As part of the second step, the Federal Foreign Office, based on reporting by German diplomatic representations abroad, and, where relevant, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community, provide qualitative reports which also cover measures taken in each case to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Key factors in this assessment are above all the

numbers of infection and the type of outbreak (local or wide-spread), testing capacities and the number of tests carried out per capita as well as the measures taken to contain the spread of infection (hygiene regulations, contact tracing, etc.). Similarly, the assessment also factors in the absence of reliable information for individual countries. The classification as a special risk area with a particularly high infection risk occurs if the specific risk area has a particularly high incidence of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus spread (high- incidence area) or because certain variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus have occurred widely in this risk area (area of variants of concern). The decisive factor in the classification of a foreign country as a special risk area due to the occurrence of a virus variant (area of variant of concern) is the spread of a virus variant (mutation), which is not concurrently widespread in Germany and from which it can be assumed that a special risk emanates (e.g. with regard to a suspected or proven higher transmissibility or other characteristics, which accelerate the spread of infection, increase the severity of the disease, or against which the effect of an immunity achieved through vaccination or through a past infection is weakened). High incidence areas are risk areas with especially high case rates. As with the risk areas, the classification as a high incidence area is based on a two-step assessment. The first step is to determine the countries/regions in which there were more than 200 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the previous seven days. Based on further qualitative and quantitative criteria, a second step can determine whether an especially high risk of infection exists or not, regardless of whether the incidence has been exceeded. 1. The following states/regions are currently considered to be areas of variant of concern:

  • Botswana (area of variant of concern since 7 February 2021; already a high incidence area since 31 January 2021 and a basic risk area since 22 November 2020)

  • Brazil (area of variant of concern since 19 January 2021; already a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • Eswatini (area of variant of concern since 31 January 2021; already a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • India (area of variant of concern since 26 April 2021; high incidence area on 25 April 2021; already a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • Lesotho (area of variant of concern since 31 January 2021; already a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • Malawi (area of variant of concern since 7 February 2021; already a high incidence area since 31 January 2021 and a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • Mozambique (area of variant of concern since 7 February 2021; already a high incidence area since 31 January 2021 and a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • Nepal (area of variant of concern since 16 May 2021; already a high incidence area since 9 May 2021 and a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • South Africa (area of variant of concern since 13 January 2021; already a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland incl. all British Overseas Territories, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (area of variant of concern since 23 May 2021, already a basic risk area since 16 May 2021)

  • Uruguay (area of variant of concern since 6 June 2021; already a high incidence area since 21 March 2021; already a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • Zambia (area of variant of concern since 7 February 2021; already high incidence area since 31 January 2021 and a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • Zimbabwe (area of variant of concern since 7 February 2021; already high incidence area since 31 January 2021 and a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

2. The following states are currently considered to be high incidence areas:

  • Argentina (high incidence area since 18 April 2021)

  • Bahrain (high incidence area since 14 February 2021)

  • Bolivia (high incidence area since 24 January 2021)

  • Cape Verde (high incidence area since 25 April 2021)

  • Chile (high incidence area since 3 April 2021)

  • Columbia (high incidence area since 24 January 2021)

  • Costa Rica (high incidence area since 9 May 2021)

  • Ecuador (high incidence area since 31 January 2021)

  • Egypt (high incidence area since 24 January 2021)

  • Georgia (high incidence area since 9 May 2021)

  • Iran (high incidence area since 24 January 2021)

  • Kuwait (high incidence area since 21 March 2021)

  • Maldives (high incidence area since 9 May 2021)

  • Mexico (high incidence area since 24 January 2021)

  • Paraguay (high incidence area since 21 March 2021)

  • Peru (high incidence area since 3 April 2021)

  • Qatar (high incidence area since 25 April 2021)

  • Seychelles (high incidence area since 14 February 2021)

  • Sudan (high incidence area since 31 January 2021)

  • Surinam (area of variant of concern since 23 May 2021; already a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • Syrian Arab Republic (high incidence area since 31 January 2021)

  • Tanzania (high incidence area since 14 March 2021)

  • Trinidad and Tobago (high incidence area since 23 May 2021; already a basic risk area since 15 June 2020)

  • Tunisia (high incidence area since 25 April 2021)

3. The following states/regions are currently considered to be basic risk areas: • Afghanistan (since 21 February 2021)

  • Algeria (since 15 June 2020)

  • Andorra (since 23 May 2021)

  • Angola (since 15 June 2020)

  • Armenia (since 9 May 2021)

  • Austria – the following federal states are currently classified as basic risk areas, with the exception of the municipalities Jungholz and Mittelberg/Kleinwalsertal: o Tyrol (since 1 November 2020) o Vorarlberg (since 1 November 2020)

  • Azerbaijan (since 15 June 2020)

  • Bahamas (since 25 April 2021)

  • Bangladesh (since 15 June 2020)

  • Belarus (since 15 June 2020)

  • Belgium (since 30 September 2020)

  • Belize (since 15 June 2020)

  • Benin (since 15 June 2020)

  • Bhutan (since 15 June 2020)

  • Bosnia and Herzegovina (since 16 May 2021)

  • Burkina Faso (since 15 June 2020)

  • Burundi (since 15 June 2020)

  • Cameroon (since 15 June 2020)

  • Canada (since 15 November 2020)

  • Central African Republic (since 15 June 2020)

  • Chad (since 15 June 2020)

  • Comoros (since 15 June 2020)

  • Côte d'Ivoire (since 15 June 2020)

  • Croatia (since 23 May 2021), excluded are the counties Dubrovnik-Neretva, Istria, Karlovac, Krapina-Zagorje, Požega-Slavonia, Split-Dalmatia (since 6 June 2021)

  • Cuba (since 28 February 2021)

  • Cyprus (since 30 May 2021; high incidence area 21 March 2021 – 29 May 2021)

  • Denmark – the entire country (since 28 March 2021), excluding the Faeroe Islands and Greenland

  • Djibouti (since 15 June 2020)

  • Dominican Republic (since 30 May 2021)

  • DR Congo (since 15 June 2020)

  • El Salvador (since 15 June 2020)

  • Equatorial Guinea (since 15 June 2020)

  • Eritrea (since 15 June 2020)

  • Estonia (since 16 May 2021)

  • Ethiopia (since 15 June 2020)

  • France (since 23 May 2021), excluded are Corsica and the French overseas departments Mayotte, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia, New Caledonia (6 June 2021)

  • Gabon (since 15 June 2020)

  • Gambia (since 15 June 2020)

  • Ghana (since 15 June 2020)

  • Greece (since 7 March 2021)

  • Guatemala (since 15 June 2020)

  • Guinea (since 15 June 2020)

  • Guinea-Bissau (since 15 June 2020)

  • Guyana (since 15 June 2020)

  • Haiti (since 15 June 2020)

  • Honduras (since 15 June 2020)

  • Indonesia (since 15 June 2020)

  • Iraq (since 15 June 2020)

  • Ireland (since 21 March 2021) – the following regions are currently classified as basic risk areas: o Border (since 21 March 2021) o Dublin (since 21 March 2021) o Mid-East (since 21 March 2021)

  • Jordan (since 16 May 2021)

  • Kazakhstan (since 15 June 2020)

  • Kenya (since 15 June 2020)

  • Korea (Democratic People’s Republic, North Korea) (since 15 June 2020)

  • Kosovo (since 16 May 2021)

  • Kyrgyzstan (since 15 June 2020)

  • Latvia (since 11 April 2021)

  • Lebanon (since 16 May 2021)

  • Liberia (since 15 June 2020)

  • Libya (since 15 June 2020)

  • Lithuania (since 6 June 2021; high incidence area 2 May 2021 – 5 June 2021)

  • Luxembourg (14 July 2020 – 20 August 2020 and since 25 September 2020)

  • Madagascar (since 15 June 2020)

  • Malaysia (since 9 May 2021)

  • Mali (since 15 June 2020)

  • Mauritania (since 15 June 2020)

  • Moldova, Republic of (since 25 April 2021)

  • Mongolia (since 23 May 2021)

  • Montenegro (since 9 May 2021)

  • Morocco (since 15 June 2020)

  • Namibia (since 14 February 2021)

  • Netherlands incl. the autonomous countries (since 30 May 2021; high incidence area 6 April 2021 – 29 May 2021), excluded are the overseas parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Curaçao, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (since 6 June 2021)

  • Nicaragua (since 15 June 2020)

  • Niger (since 15 June 2020)

  • Nigeria (since 15 June 2020)

  • North Macedonia (since 16 May 2021)

  • Norway – the following counties are classified as basic risk areas: o Agder (since 2 May 2021) o Innlandet (since 30 May 2021) o Oslo (since 8 November 2020) o Vestfold og Telemark (since 9 May 2021) o Viken (since 15 November 2020) o Troms og Finnmark (since 6 June 2021) o Trøndelag (since 6 June 2021)

  • Oman (since 23 May 2021)

  • Pakistan (since 15 June 2020)

  • Palestinian territories (since 16 May 2021)

  • Panama (since 28 February 2021)

  • Papua New Guinea (since 17 June 2020)

  • Philippines (since 15 June 2020)

  • Portugal – the following regions are classified as basic risk areas: o Azores (autonomous region) (since 18 April 2021) o Madeira (autonomous region) (since 14 March 2021)

  • Republic of the Congo (since 15 June 2020)

  • Russian Federation (since 15 June 2020)

  • Saudi Arabia (since 15 June 2020)

  • Senegal (since 15 June 2020)

  • Serbia (since 16 May 2021)

  • Sierra Leone (since 15 June 2020)

  • Slovenia (since 23 May 2021)

  • Somalia (since 15 June 2020)

  • Spain – the following autonomous communities and cities are classified as basic risk areas: o Andalusia (since 14 August 2020) (since 31 July 2020) (since 14 August 2020) Castile and León (since 14 August 2020) Catalonia (since 31 July 2020) La Rioja (since 3 April 2021) Madrid (since 14 August 2020) since 14 August 2020) (since 31 July 2020)

  • South Sudan (since 15 June 2020)

  • Sri Lanka (since 16 May 2021)

  • St. Lucia (since 23 May 2021)

  • Sweden (since 6 June 2021; high incidence area 7 March 2021 – 5 June 2021)

  • Switzerland (since 24 October 2020), excluded are the cantons of Aargau, Basel-City, Basel-Country, Graubünden, Solothurn, Ticino, Zug and Zurich (since 6 June 2021)

  • Tajikistan (since 15 June 2020) o o o o o o o o Aragon Basque country Melilla (Navarra

  • Timor Leste (East Timor) (since 17 June 2020)

  • Togo (since 15 June 2020)

  • Turkey (since 6 June; high incidence area 11 April 2021 – 5 June 2021)

  • Turkmenistan (since 17 June 2020)

  • Ukraine (since 16 May 2021)

  • United Arab Emirates (since 18 April 2021)

  • USA (since 7 March 2021)

  • Uzbekistan (since 15 June 2020)

  • Venezuela (since 15 June 2020)

  • Yemen (since 15 June 2020)

© Robert Koch-Institut


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