CoronaVO EQ stands for “Corona Ordinance Entry Quarantine” and is an abbreviation for the “Ordinance of the Ministry of Social Affairs on Quarantine Measures for Entry and Return Travellers to Combat the Corona Virus (SARS-CoV-2)”.
The CoronaVO EQ ensures that entries into the Federal Republic of Germany from risk areas do not create additional impulses for domestic infection and that no new infection hot spots are created by arriving and returning travellers. Against this background, a 10-day isolation by domestic quarantine for a large proportion of the arrivals is necessary in order not to jeopardise the measures already taken in Germany to contain the spread of the corona virus. At the same time, the economic and social life is to be maintained across borders, as far as this can be justified in the current pandemic situation.
The obligation to quarantine applies to persons who enter the state of Baden-Württemberg from abroad by land, sea or air and who at any time during the last ten days prior to entry have been in an area which was or still is a risk area during this period.
This means that you do not only have to go into quarantine if the area from which you are entering is designated a risk area at the time you enter Baden-Württemberg. Rather, this obligation also applies if you have been in an area which, although no longer designated as a risk area at the time of entry, had been so at any time during the ten days preceding entry.
The classification as a risk area is carried out by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Construction and Home Affairs and is published by the Robert Koch Institute on its website; it is constantly updated. Therefore, travellers should inform themselves before crossing the border. If you enter the state from such a risk area, you must always go into domestic quarantine, unless exceptions apply which are regulated in § 2 CoronaVO EQ.
- Excluded are persons who enter Baden-Württemberg only for the purpose of transit; however, they must leave the territory of Baden-Württemberg as quickly as possible in order to complete their transit.
- Also excluded are persons who, in the context of border traffic with the border regions defined in Annex 1 (see question: Which areas are considered border regions according to Annex 1 to Art. 2 Para. 2 Num. 1 CoronaVO EQ) either enter for up to 24 hours and have their primary or secondary residence in these border regions, or who have spent less than 24 hours in a risk area according to Art. 1 Paragraph 4.
- Likewise excluded are persons staying in Baden-Württemberg for less than 72 hours for certain entry purposes, such as persons entering on the basis of a visit by first-degree relatives, a spouse or partner who does not belong to the same household or a shared custody or access right. Provided that appropriate protection and hygiene concepts are observed, this also includes persons who, for professional reasons, transport people, goods or merchandise across borders. Urgent medical treatment or attendance at a court hearing may also constitute an exception. The same applies to persons who have been in a risk area for less than 72 hours for any of the above purposes.
- Excluded in particular are – subject to compliance with appropriate protection and hygiene concepts and the presentation of a certificate of imperative necessity – border commuters and border crossers (profession, studies, training) who either reside in the state of Baden-Württemberg or in a risk area and return to their place of residence at least once a week; boarding school pupils visiting their first or second degree relatives (without any weekly requirement).
- Further exceptions are possible if upon entry a negative test result regarding an infection with corona virus SARS-CoV-2 exists on paper or in an electronic document in the German, English or French language and the test was carried out no more than 48 hours prior to entry (so-called “free testing”); if no test was carried out prior to entry, it is also possible to be tested after entry. This may be done both at the point of the border crossing and (after directly driving there) at the point of the domestic quarantine. This exception applies to persons entering for urgent medical treatment; to law enforcement officers returning from deployment and from equivalent obligations abroad; to persons who for absolutely necessary and urgent professional reasons (or because of their training or studies) stayed in a risk area for up to five days or enter the state of Baden-Württemberg; to persons who are accredited by the respective organising committee to prepare, participate in, implement or follow-up with international sports events or who are invited by a federal sports association to participate in training and seminar measures.
- People returning from a holiday in a risk area who, immediately before their return trip, have had a negative test for corona virus SARS-CoV-2 infection at their holiday destination are only exempted from quarantine under certain additional requirements. This is the case if there is an agreement between the FRG and the holiday country. Information on this may be found on the websites of the Federal Foreign Office at www.auswaertiges-amt.de and the Robert Koch Institute at www.rki.de.
- Finally, persons pursuant to Art. 54a of the Infection Protection Act, members of foreign armed forces within the meaning of the NATO troop statute, persons who enter Baden-Württemberg for the purpose of taking up work for at least three weeks (seasonal workers) and persons who enter Baden-Württemberg for the purpose of taking up work for a shorter period with a valid reason are excluded.
These exceptions apply without the need for a waiver granted by a public authority.
However, all exceptions apply only if the persons named therein do not exhibit any symptoms typical of an infection with the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 such as fever, dry cough or a disturbance of the sense of taste or smell upon entry or for up to 10 days afterwards.
In justified individual cases comparable to the exceptional cases described above, the competent local police authority (municipality, town hall) may grant an exemption from domestic quarantine. For example, during the 10-day period, persons may exceptionally be allowed to leave their place of residence to carry out urgent tasks that cannot be postponed and that cannot be carried out by anyone else.
The period of isolation may also be shortened. However, the quarantine shall end no earlier than the fifth day after entry if a person has a negative test result for corona virus SARS-CoV-2 infection in paper form or in an electronic document in the German, English or French language and presents it immediately to the competent authority upon request within ten days of entry.
Only a test carried out in Germany will be recognised. This may be at the place of home isolation or (after directly driving there) a medical practice. The place of domestic isolation is generally understood to be the person's own home or accommodation where he or she has been quarantined. If it is not possible to be tested by a doctor in the domestic environment, it is possible to leave the home to go to the nearest test centre, the nearest specialist practice or even visit the company doctor to carry out the test. No special official permit is required for this. In the case of testing outside the place of domestic isolation, appropriate protective measures for visiting the test place must be agreed upon with the place to be visited and then observed. In particular, the use of public transport should be avoided on the way to and from the test.
This Ordinance does not regulate the crossing of the border itself, but only the issues related to the order of or exemption from quarantine.
On the website of the Federal police you can find information regarding questions on entry and exit as well as on border crossing. Further information for border crossers can also be found on the website of the Regierungspräsidium Freiburg.
Anyone who has been abroad for professional reasons that are absolutely necessary and could not be postponed is exempt from home quarantine, provided that the work stay in a risk area lasted no longer than 5 days and only against free testing (see above under exceptions). The stay abroad could be absolutely necessary and not be postponed if it is essential to keep the appointment and a cancellation or postponement would have serious professional consequences. This is particularly the case if there is a threat of contractual penalties or substantial financial losses. The compelling necessity must be certified by the employer or the contracting entity.
If the entry is from a risk area, the exemption must be credibly documented to the responsible local police authority (municipality, town hall) upon request. In principle, this may be done orally at first. However, it is useful to have supporting documents on hand that credibly prove that a valid reason (e.g. first-degree visit to relatives, urgent medical treatment or transport of goods) exists.
Other exceptions are covered by certificates, which must also include the compelling requirement of entry: This is the case, for example, for professional and educational commuters (insofar as they are not already covered by the regime of border traffic with border regions as set out in Annex 1) or the participation in judicial proceedings.
The question only arises if the person is entering from a risk area and is subject to quarantine. Such areas are countries or regions outside the Federal Republic of Germany that are at an increased risk of infection with the corona virus SARS-CoV-2. The classification as a risk area is carried out by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, for Construction and Homeland. It is published by the Robert Koch Institute on its website.
However, there is an exception, among others, if one enters for the purpose of taking up work for at least three weeks, if at the place of accommodation and work in the first 14 days after entry, measures for operational hygiene and contact avoidance outside the working group are established on a group basis that are comparable to a domestic quarantine. Leaving the accommodation shall only be allowed for the pursuit of the activity. This is a provision for incoming groups who are housed and working together, for example harvesters or workers on a large construction site. This exception applies without the need for a waiver granted by a public authority.
No, persons whose work is indispensable for the maintenance of the functioning of the health system (in particular doctors, nurses, medical support staff and 24-hour care workers), public safety and order, the maintenance of diplomatic and consular relations, the functioning of the judiciary, the functioning of the people's representation, the government and administration of the federal, state and local authorities, or the functioning of the institutions of the European Union and international organisations are exempt from quarantine against free testing. The compelling necessity must be certified by the employer or principal.
Pupils who have spent their holidays in a risk area are generally subject to compulsory quarantine upon entry. Exceptions may exist in certain cases, see above (Question: What are the exceptions to home quarantine?).
However, persons returning from a risk area as holiday-makers and who, immediately before returning home, were tested at their holiday destination with a negative result for infection with the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 may be exempted from the quarantine obligation, subject to certain additional conditions.
In addition, the period of isolation may be shortened. However, the quarantine shall end on the fifth day after entry at the earliest, if a person has a negative test result for corona virus SARS-CoV-2 infection in paper form or in an electronic document in the German, English or French language and immediately presents it to the competent authority upon request within 10 days of entry.
Persons, such as service technicians or fitters, who predominantly work abroad and who enter Germany after their foreign assignments before returning to work abroad, must generally enter domestic quarantine, unless they are covered by the exception in Art. 2 Para. 3 Num. 4 CoronaVO EQ: They have stayed in a risk area for up to five days for absolutely necessary and urgent professional reasons and have a negative test result (free testing). For example, the necessity and impossibility of postponement is affirmed when service technicians have to repair systems that would otherwise be at a standstill because there is no corresponding specialist on site. The compelling necessity must be certified by the employer or the contracting entity.
Persons who travel to Germany for up to 72 hours for urgent medical treatment (e.g. chemotherapy) are not subject to quarantine.
The mere visit of relatives does not constitute an exception to the quarantine obligation. However, exceptions are made for persons entering on the grounds of visiting first-degree relatives, spouses or partners who are not members of the same household or on the grounds of shared custody or rights of access for stays of less than 72 hours. For visits of second degree relatives or for longer visits of the above-mentioned groups of persons, the exemption from the quarantine obligation only applies if the person entering the country has a negative test result.
In principle, yes. However, persons entering the country from a risk area are subject to the obligation to enter quarantine. Exceptions apply to persons who, in the context of border traffic with the border regions defined in Appendix 1, enter for up to 24 hours and have their primary or secondary residence in these border regions or who have stayed in a risk area for less than 24 hours.
Both the federal government and the state government have repeatedly appealed to the population to refrain from travelling to risk areas wherever possible. However, such trips are not prohibited.
Travellers should inform themselves about the current infection situation in their country of destination. Anyone who has spent time in a risk area for a leisure trip or a family visit must always enter quarantine, unless exceptions to the quarantine obligation regulated in Art. 2 CoronaVO EQ apply.
The Ordinance of the Ministry of Social Affairs on quarantine measures for entering and returning travellers to combat the corona virus (SARS-CoV-2) (Corona Ordinance Entry Quarantine - CoronaVO EQ) is available for download here: Corona Ordinance Entry Quarantine
Border regions are the mandated areas of the International Lake Constance Conference and the Upper Rhine Conference which are not located on German territory, namely:
- In Austria, the state of Vorarlberg,
- In the Principality of Liechtenstein, the entire territory,
- In Switzerland, the cantons of Appenzell (Innerrhoden, Ausserrhoden), St. Gallen, Thurgau, Zurich and Schaffhausen as well as the cantons of Aargau, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Jura and Solothurn,as well as
- In France, the departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin.
