Germany officially open to Americans on June 20 (the news coming too late for one of our reporters)
Editor's Note
American travelers can start planning their trips to visit Germany this summer, now that the U.S. has been removed from the list of countries Germany considers high-risk for the coronavirus. The news was announced by Germany's health agency, the Robert Koch Institute, during the release of its updated global COVID-19 risk evaluation for countries around the world.
The German government confirmed on Friday, June 18 that Americans will be welcomed as of June 20, 2021.
TPG found out because when we got the news yesterday that Germany was opening, we booked a last-minute flight to Frankfurt for June 18. Unfortunately, reporter Mimi Wright was turned away at the Lufthansa ticket counter as the government had just updated the guidance to June 20.
As you can imagine, it's created quite a bit of chaos as airlines and airports try to keep up with the quickly changing developments. Wright is rebooking her trip and will have first-hand reporting beginning on Sunday, June 20.
Related: I was one of the first American tourists allowed into Germany
The United States and 18 other countries were taken off the list of regions considered "Risk Areas" yesterday, paving the way for tourists from those countries to enter Germany. Other nations removed from the designation include Canada, Norway and Switzerland.
So, what does being taken off this list mean for Americans looking to spend some of their summer vacation in Germany? For one, it means U.S. tourists who have proof they're fully vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19 and been cleared by a doctor or have a negative test result will no longer have to quarantine upon arrival.
Related: Country-by-country guide to reopenings
Visitors arriving in Germany by plane will still need to complete a digital entry form and upload the documents. But the removal of the mandatory quarantine will likely be a strong enticement for people considering travel plans.
Related: Complete guide to Europe reopening
Germany's decision comes as the European Union just added the U.S. to its travel "white list," which will allow American tourists who are vaccinated to skip quarantine mandates and move about more liberally between the 27 EU countries. It is not immediately clear when the EU change in travel policy for Americans will take effect.
Related: 4 reasons to visit Germany in summer
The latest updates for travel can be found here. Updates on risk areas are provided by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
This is a developing story and will be updated with new details as we get them.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month