Prymula: “We Will Probably Ease Some Travel Curbs”

According to Deputy Minister of Health Roman Prymula, the restrictions on travel abroad will probably be eased in the next weeks.

“Slovakia and Croatia are considered as possibilities, but we need an agreement with the respective countries which would have to open their borders to Czech holidaymakers”.

“The Czech government is under pressure to open at least a few holiday “channels” out of the country,” he added.

In mid-June, the situation will be more clear. Prime Minister Andrej Babis (ANO) added that the government will continue to explore the possibility of free travel.

Croatia was the most popular foreign destination for Czechs in 2018. According to data from the Czech Statistical Office, 813,000 Czech tourists spent their holidays there.

More than five million Czechs went on holiday abroad last year.

On March 14, the government put a ban on entering the territory of the Czech Republic for all arriving foreigners except for foreigners with permanent or temporary (over 90 day-long) residency in the Czech Republic. All people entering the territory of the Czech Republic are subject to a fourteen-day mandatory quarantine unless stated otherwise, subject to exceptions.

With effect from April 14th, foreigners residing in the Czech Republic, like Czech citizens, are able to travel abroad, with the possibility of returning during the state of emergency.

The purpose of travel must be in accordance with the exceptions to the prohibition of free movement imposed by the Ministry of Health.

It is therefore limited to necessary and justified cases only (e.g. fulfillment of official duties, work abroad, etc.), which will have to be proven individually to the police at border crossings. Diplomatic notice from an embassy is therefore no longer required.