Germany among latest countries to relax travel restrictions

Countries have continued easing their Covid-19 travel restrictions including Germany which has removed the UK from its list of “high-risk” areas.

This move by Germany’s government means that UK travellers no longer have to complete a pre-departure digital registration form – the change came into effect on Sunday (20 February). Fully vaccinated arrivals from the UK can enter Germany for any travel purpose.

All visitors to Germany still must carry a negative Covid test result, proof of vaccination or show they have recently recovered from the virus.

Singapore is also further easing requirements for its Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) regime, which allows quarantine-free entry to travellers arriving on dedicated flights.

From Monday (21 February), travellers flying to Singapore on a designated VTL flight will no longer have to take a PCR test on arrival. They will instead have up to 24 hours to take a supervised self-swab test at a designated centre in Singapore.

Singapore Airlines operates VTL flights from several European countries including Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK.

Singapore’s requirement to take these Covid tests on days two to seven of a traveller’s stay has also been removed.

Elsewhere, Israel is to allow entry to all visitors, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated, from 1 March. Currently only fully vaccinated travellers are allowed into the country.

Under the new arrangements, all arriving passengers will have to submit a negative PCR result before boarding their flight to Israel and take another PCR test after landing.

Bahrain is another destination to ease restrictions with all travellers no longer required to take a PCR test on arrival at the international airport from 20 February. The country has also removed quarantine for all passengers.

In the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands has announced that fully vaccinated visitors to the financial centre will no longer have to take lateral flow tests on days two, five and seven after arrival.

Travellers will still be required to take a lateral flow or PCR test the day before arrival in the destination.