COVID-19 rules
Countries may restrict travel or bring in rules at short notice. Check with your travel company or airline for changes.
If you test positive for COVID-19, you may need to stay where you are until you test negative. You may also need to seek treatment there.
Visit TravelHealthPro (from the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre) for general COVID-19 advice for travellers.
Passport validity requirements
If you plan to visit an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.
Your passport must be:
- issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
- valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.
Contact the German Embassy in the UK if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to.
If you hold a valid residence permit, passport validity requirements are less strict. In this case, your passport only needs to be valid for the duration of your stay (check the ‘expiry date’). Before applying to extend a German residence permit, you will need to renew an expired passport and present your new passport to the local Foreigners Authority (Ausländerbehörde).
Passport stamping
At German border control, you may need to:
- show a return or onward ticket
- show you have enough money for your stay
Check your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area through Germany as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit.
You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area, and ask the border guards to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.
If you live in Germany, read our Living in Germany guide for passport stamping information.
Visa requirements
You can travel to countries in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel:
- as a tourist
- to visit family or friends
- to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events
- for short-term studies or training
If you are travelling to Germany and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.
To stay longer (for example, to work, study or for business), you must meet the German government’s entry requirements. Check which type of visa or work permit you need with the German Embassy in the UK.
If you are travelling to Germany for work, read the guidance on visas and permits. The German Embassy has detailed information on employment regulations.
If you stay in Germany with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.
Proof of residence
If you live in Germany, read our Living in Germany guide for information on carrying proof of residence while travelling.
Vaccination requirements (other than COVID-19)
At least 8 weeks before your trip, check what vaccinations and vaccination certificates you may need in TravelHealthPro’s Germany guide.
Customs rules
There are strict rules about goods you can take into and out of Germany. You must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.
Taking food and drink into the EU
You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions for medical reasons, for example certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food, or pet food needed for medical reasons. Check the rules about taking food and drink into the EU on the European Commission website.
Taking money into Germany
British nationals have been arrested for having counterfeit currency. Only change money in banks or legitimate currency exchange offices.
You must declare any amount above 10,000 euros in cash or other payment types. You can find more information on the German Federal Foreign Office website.