PolicyPublished 2026-04-23

COVID in 2026 Germany — what's actually still in place?

Quick status update for newcomers: no entry restrictions, no mask mandates, no isolation orders, no vaccination proof needed. COVID is treated as endemic in 2026. Here is the clean one-page answer.

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Status update

Corona in Germany — 2026 reality

Short answer: COVID is treated as endemic, like seasonal flu. No entry restrictions, no mask mandates, no isolation orders. Long answer: a few small things worth knowing about insurance and work sick-notes. Here it is on one page.

Last updated: 2026-04-23· Next review: 2026-07-23 (past due)

entry tests, mask mandates, or isolation orders active in 2026

COVID treated like seasonal flu

The Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung is inactive. No quarantine, no vaccination proof, no negative PCR at the border.

The one-paragraph summary

If you are moving to, visiting, or already living in Germany in 2026: no COVID-specific rules apply to you. The Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung is inactive. There is no entry test, no quarantine, no vaccination proof, no mask mandate, and no legally-required isolation if you test positive. The standard public and private German health insurance systems cover COVID diagnosis and treatment exactly the same way they cover any other respiratory infection. Work rules are the ordinary ones — a sick note (Krankschreibung) is required only from day four of absence, unless your employer contract says otherwise.

What's active in 2026

No entry testPCR / antigen not required
No mask mandateTrains, shops, offices all free
No isolation orderStay home if sick, like any flu
No vaccination proofEntry, work, school all unaffected

2021 vs 2026 — the stark difference

Provider	Rule	2021 peak
Entry into Germany Best The Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung has been inactive for years.	Negative PCR or vaccination proof required	No test, no proof needed
Masks in public transport Individual operators can still recommend masks during flu waves, but nothing is enforced.	FFP2 mandatory in trains, buses, airports	No mandate at all
Masks in shops Some pharmacies or medical practices voluntarily keep FFP2 signage.	Mandatory in most Bundesländer	Not required anywhere
Test-positive isolation You stay home because you feel unwell, not because the state orders it.	10–14 day mandatory Quarantäne	No legal isolation
Sick-note timing Matches the general §5 EFZG rule; individual employment contracts may still require earlier.	From day 1 in many companies	Standard rule — from day 4
Vaccination mandates The healthcare-worker mandate expired in 2023 and was not renewed.	Healthcare staff §20a IfSG until 2023	None active
3G / 2G rules These labels are historical — no venue in 2026 checks vaccination status.	Required for restaurants, events, gyms	None active
Travel restrictions COVID-specific risk-area lists were discontinued.	Country-specific quarantine lists	Normal Schengen rules only

Entry into Germany Best

The Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung has been inactive for years.

Rule: Negative PCR or vaccination proof required
2021 peak: No test, no proof needed
2026 reality

Masks in public transport

Individual operators can still recommend masks during flu waves, but nothing is enforced.

Rule: FFP2 mandatory in trains, buses, airports
2021 peak: No mandate at all
2026 reality

Masks in shops

Some pharmacies or medical practices voluntarily keep FFP2 signage.

Rule: Mandatory in most Bundesländer
2021 peak: Not required anywhere
2026 reality

Test-positive isolation

You stay home because you feel unwell, not because the state orders it.

Rule: 10–14 day mandatory Quarantäne
2021 peak: No legal isolation
2026 reality

Sick-note timing

Matches the general §5 EFZG rule; individual employment contracts may still require earlier.

Rule: From day 1 in many companies
2021 peak: Standard rule — from day 4
2026 reality

Vaccination mandates

The healthcare-worker mandate expired in 2023 and was not renewed.

Rule: Healthcare staff §20a IfSG until 2023
2021 peak: None active
2026 reality

3G / 2G rules

These labels are historical — no venue in 2026 checks vaccination status.

Rule: Required for restaurants, events, gyms
2021 peak: None active
2026 reality

Travel restrictions

COVID-specific risk-area lists were discontinued.

Rule: Country-specific quarantine lists
2021 peak: Normal Schengen rules only
2026 reality

Insurance and sick-notes — the small practical details

Your statutory (GKV) or private (PKV) German health insurance covers COVID diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care identically to any other respiratory infection. Visits to the Hausarzt cost nothing out of pocket with GKV. PCR tests via the Hausarzt are covered when medically indicated — routine self-testing is not, but antigen self-tests are cheap (€1–€3 each) at any Drogerie (dm, Rossmann).

Work sick-notes:

The default rule under §5 EFZG: you need an Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung (AU) from a doctor from day four of absence.
Some employment contracts require one from day one — check your Arbeitsvertrag.
Since 2023 the AU is transmitted electronically (eAU) from your Hausarzt to your employer and insurer. You no longer carry the yellow slip around.
If you test positive on a home antigen test but feel fine, there is no legal requirement to stay home. Most employers appreciate you working from home anyway if the role allows.

If you need a vaccination (voluntary):

STIKO (the German vaccination advisory body) recommends annual COVID boosters for people 60+ and for those with chronic conditions — alongside the annual flu shot.
Vaccines are free at your Hausarzt for recommended groups, and low-cost (€30–€80) for everyone else.
Apotheken (pharmacies) also administer COVID vaccines in most Bundesländer.

For the still-worried newcomer

A common worry among arrivals from countries that kept COVID rules longer (some East Asian, some Middle Eastern, some Latin American jurisdictions): is Germany underreacting? The honest answer is that Germany, like every EU country, transitioned COVID from pandemic to endemic management during 2023. The RKI still tracks wastewater and hospital admissions; if a dangerous new variant appears, legal powers under the Infektionsschutzgesetz can be reactivated quickly. Until then, normal life is normal life.

What to actually pack in your carry-on:

An FFP2 mask or two, if you prefer them on long flights or in crowded U-Bahn during flu season — your choice, no rule.
Ibuprofen or Paracetamol from your home country if you are used to a specific brand. German pharmacies carry equivalents but not always the same packaging.
Nothing COVID-specific beyond that.