The Czech Republic reopened its borders for tourism in June 2020. In October of that same year, the country has to close its borders to address the increasing cases of Covid-19 infections. Early this year, the country reopened its borders again but has imposed rules and restrictions on arriving visitors depending on which country they came from.
The rules and requirements for entry into the Czech Republic have been changing rapidly due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation around the world. If you are planning to visit this beautiful European country, here are the entry rules and requirements that you should be aware of.
Who Can Enter the Czech Republic?
Citizens of EU member states who have been fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 virus are permitted to enter the Czech Republic without the need to test or self-isolate upon entry. However, in order to be considered “fully vaccinated”, it should already be at least 14 days since the last dose of the vaccine was administered. Furthermore, the vaccine should be any of those vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, which include Moderna, Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Janssen.
Those who have been infected with the Covid-19 virus in the past 180 days are also eligible to enter the country quarantine-free, for as long as they can show proof. Kids who are 6 to 12 years of age are exempted from the testing requirements unless they came from countries that are categorized as “dark red” or “red”. In which case, they must get tested and self-isolate upon entry into the country. All travelers entering the Czech Republic will be required to fill in the Passenger Locator Form (PLF).
Travelers Outside the EU
Travelers who came from outside of the European Union will only be allowed entry into the Czech Republic if they came from countries with a low risk of transmission. These countries are categorized as “green”. Currently, here’s the list of third countries under the Czech Republic’s green list.
- Albania
- Australia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Montenegro
- Hong Kong
- Croatia
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Canada
- Qatar
- South Korea
- Kosovo
- Saudi Arabia
- Lebanon
- Lichtenstein
- Lithuania
- Latvia
- Macau
- Hungary
- the Kingdom of Norway
- New Zealand
- Poland
- Austria
- San Marino
- North Macedonia
- Romania
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- United States of America
- Germany
- Serbia
- Brunei
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- Vatican City
The rules of entry for travelers coming from these countries are the same as that of travelers coming from within the EU countries. This means that vaccinated travelers are not required to self-isolate or get tested upon entry. But they must show proof of vaccination and that the vaccines should be approved by the European Medicines Agency.
Entry Rules for Unvaccinated Travelers
Unvaccinated travelers who are citizens of the EU countries will be allowed entry into the Czech Republic only if they came from those countries that are in the orange category and are considered “low” and “medium” risk. However, they must be able to show proof of having tested negative for the virus. The test should be taken within 72 hours if PCR test and 48 hours if rapid antigen test. Those who cannot show a negative test result must go into a 10-day quarantine and get tested after five days. If the result is negative, they will be allowed to end their quarantine.
Here’s a list of EU countries that are currently considered by the Czech authorities as low and medium risk:
- Belgium
- Estonia
- Finland
- Iceland
- Italy
- Switzerland
- Madeira (Portugal)
Travelers from Very High-Risk Countries
Travelers who came from countries in the EU that are categorized under the red and dark red categories have to adhere to a more stringent entry requirement since these countries are considered high-risk or very high risk.
Regardless of their vaccination status, these travelers should provide a negative result of the Covid-19 test before entry. If taken via PCR test, it should be within 72 hours or 48 hours if rapid antigen test.
Within the first five days of arrival in the Czech Republic, these travelers will be asked to take another PCR test. They must stay self-isolated until the result returns negative.
Currently, here are the EU countries that are under the red and dark red categories.
- France
- Ireland
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Monaco
- Portugal (including the Azores)
- Greece
- Canary Islands
- Denmark
- Cyprus
- The Netherlands
- Spain (including the Balearic Islands)
Travelers from Countries with Extreme Risk of Covid-19 Infection
Travelers who came from countries with extreme risk of Covid-19 infections are currently banned from entry into the Czech Republic, regardless of their purpose of visit and their vaccination status. Currently, here are the countries that the Czech authorities deemed to have an extreme risk of Covid-19 infections.
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Eswatini (Swaziland)
- India
- South Africa
- Colombia
- Lesotho
- Namibia
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Nepal
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Russia
- Tanzania (including Zanzibar and Pemba islands)
- Tunisia
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
The only time travelers coming from these countries will be allowed into the Czech Republic is if they are citizens and residents of the country. Those carrying diplomatic duties will also be allowed entry. However, these travelers will have to present a negative result of the Covid-19 test, undergo double testing upon arrival, and self-isolate for ten days.
Sources: Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic | Travel State Gov | U.S. Embassy in The Czech Republic | Ministry of Health
