Traveling in Europe: What Is Going to Change From Monday, November 9

The traffic light system of travel has been updated for the first time since September.  The rules will come into effect from November 9 and will apply to both Czechs travelling abroad and foreigners coming to the Czech Republic.

Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček announced the change, showing a map of with countries coloured in red, orange or green depending on their Covid infection rate. Countries with less than 250 cases per 100,000 people in the last two weeks, where more than four per cent of tests are positive, are classed as medium risk, i.e orange. The entire of Europe is currently flooded with orange and red.

The only exception will be Vatican City.

According to Petříček, efforts have been made to establish uniform rules for travel within the European Union since the spring. With this system, there are still changing rules. For example, twelve-hour trips abroad are allowed without the need to take a test.

Also from Monday, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, Greece and Cyprus will be included in the medium-risk group of countries.

When traveling to the Czech Republic from these countries, only foreign workers, with the exception of commuters, will have to submit a negative COVID-19 test. They will not need other tests.

For countries with a high level of risk, specified by the colour red, anybody entering the Czech Republic will need to produce a negative Covid-19 test. If they can’t, they need to quarantine for 10 days.  They must also fill in an arrival form to provide details of where they are staying. Exceptions to this requirement are commuters or students who move regularly.

“On the way back to the Czech Republic from those countries, testing will be mandatory. Foreigners from these countries who come to the Czech Republic will also have to be tested, for example, for tourism reasons,” the minister explained.

Still, the Czech Republic is accepting entry of people from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Thailand and Australia without tests or quarantine. The data will be re-evaluated each week and, in the case of a change, the map will be updated on Fridays.

The map will be updated once a week.