The Federal Government today decided to restrict entry from Montenegro to persons having important an reason for travel, effective 17 July 2020, 00:00, as recommended by the Council of the European Union.

Every two weeks, the EU evaluates the list of third countries it considers safe due to the relatively low infection rate there, which means that entries need not be restricted.

The following applies to travellers entering from third countries as of 17 July 2020, 00:00:

1. Entry from third countries with low infection rates is possible without restriction. Based on current data on infection rates, Germany currently allows unrestricted entry from seven countries:
   1.    Australia
   2.    Georgia
   3.    Canada
   4.    New Zealand
   5.    Thailand
   6.    Tunisia
   7.    Uruguay
   
   
2.  The following exceptions continue to apply.  The following persons may enter Germany if they have important reasons for travel:
   1.       German nationals, EU citizens and third-country nationals with current right of residence in Germany,
   2.       healthcare workers, health researchers and geriatric care workers, skilled and highly qualified foreign workers if their employment is necessary from an economic perspective and the work cannot be postponed or performed abroad,
   3.       freight transport and other transport personnel,
   4.       seasonal workers in agriculture,
   5.       seafarers,
   6.       foreign students whose course of study is not fully possible from abroad,
   7.       persons immigrating into Germany for the purpose of joining their families and visits for urgent family reasons,
   8.       persons in need of international protection or protection for other humanitarian reasons,
   9.       diplomats, staff of international organisations, military personnel and humanitarian aid workers in the exercise of their functions,
   10.   ethnic German resettlers,
   11.   passengers in transit.
   
   
3. The place of departure is decisive in regard to whether it is possible to enter Germany, not the nationality of the person wishing to enter.

Regardless of the possibility to enter the country, Germany still has a quarantine requirement in place in all federal states on the basis of the Protection against Infection Act (Infektionsschutzgesetz) for those returning to and entering Germany from regions designated by the Robert Koch Institute as risk areas. The quarantine requirement also applies across the board (with the exception of transit passengers) for travellers with an important reason for travel.

An exception is made from the quarantine requirement if the person has an up-to-date negative coronavirus test.

The most important objective on which all considerations must be based is ensuring we continue to contain the spread of the pandemic.