The PLF was introduced by the German authorities under the Ordinance of Coronavirus Entry Regulations in July 2021. The form is mandatory for both international visitors as well as German citizens who have recently visited one of the high-risk countries or the area of the COVID-19 mutation.
General Information About the Passenger Locator Form to Germany
The German Passenger Locator Form is an online health-related electronic questionnaire implemented with the aim to minimize the spread of coronavirus. The form includes all the most crucial information regarding the health status of arrivals to Germany coming from the COVID-19 severely affected areas or territories where coronavirus mutations are present.
Generally, every person who has been to one of these countries within 10 days before the planned trip to Germany is obliged to complete the German Digital Registration 72 hours in advance.
Underage travelers coming to Germany with adults need to be added to the passenger locator form of the adult traveler.
Travelers arriving in Germany can submit either a paper or digital receipt of the German PLF receipt.
Those who do not hold a valid German Passenger Locator Form can encounter some troubles upon crossing the German border, including denial of entry.
How to Apply for German Passenger Locator Form
The German Passenger Locator Form needs to be completed within 72 hours before the intended entry date to Germany. Travelers need firstly have ready one of the following:
- coronavirus test with a negative result
- vaccination certificate confirming receiving the full COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Johnson&Johnson, Spikevax are recognized in Germany)
- COVID-19 recovery certificate
Applicants need to prepare an accommodation address where they plan to stay in Germany, a travel itinerary (including flight number, arrival date, etc.), and one of the three above-listed documents.
GERMAN PLF APPLICATION INSTRUCTION
Filling out the online application form for the German PLF requires going through the following steps:
- Enter all the required information, answer all the questions, and double-check data for correctness.
- Cover the service fee using one of the available methods of online payment.
- Wait until your application is positively processed and download a PDF file that will we deliver directly to your email inbox. Important note: Minor travelers under 12 years of age need to submit neither vaccination certificate, negative coronavirus test result, nor recovery certificate.
German entry requirements
Germany introduced two new terms related to the COVID-19 situation worldwide, namely:
- an area where new coronavirus variants of concern were observed
- a high-risk COVID-19 area
The difference between these categories is that a country from a high-risk area records a high number of coronavirus cases, while areas of variants of concern note cases of the recently detected new COVID-19 variants.
The list of the countries is continuously updated.
For now, all the persons, including those fully vaccinated or recovered, who wish to visit Germany but have recently been to the areas of COVID-19 variants of concern must perform additionally a PCR (72 hours before arrival) or antigen test (48 hours prior to the arrival time). They are also subject to the ban on carriage that was imposed on travel from areas of variants of concern via bus, rail, plane, or ship. The obligation of a 14-day quarantine also applies to all visitors coming from these areas, regardless of vaccination or recovery status.
Every traveler who has been to high-risk countries within the last 10 days must provide either a full vaccination certificate, negative test, or recovery certificate.
Please be aware that the entry requirements are subject to rapid changes due to the ongoing coronavirus situation. Every traveler should check it before the intended trip to Germany.