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.
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