Travel information after July 1st, 2020
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic further relaxed the rules of travel to the Czech Republic. These new rules come to effect on July 1st, 2020.
Based on the epidemiological situation evaluation and based on the broader coordination at the European Union level, different rules shall apply to persons coming from a so-called green zone country (a country with a low risk of COVID-19) and to persons coming from a so-called red zone country (all other countries). The division of countries into each zone is available at the Ministry of Health website and the list will be regularly updated - https://koronavirus.mzcr.cz/.
Following rules of entry to the Czech Republic are applicable:
EU citizens (citizens of Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican are regarded as EU citizens):
They can enter the Czech Republic without the need to prove the purpose of entry or to limit the duration of stay on the territory. However,
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If the EU citizen stayed in the last 14 days more than 12 hours in the red zone country, after the entry to the Czech Republic he or she has the obligation to contact a respective regional hygiene station, undergo a PCR test and submit the test result to the regional hygiene station within 72 hours from the day of entry;
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If the EU citizen stayed only in the green zone country, after the entry to the Czech Republic he or she has no additional obligations from the epidemiological point of view;
Third country citizens:
If they are citizens or residents of green zone countries, which apply reciprocity towards the Czech Republic (currently this is the case of Montenegro and Serbia), and they stayed in the last 14 days in their territory, they can enter the Czech Republic without the need to prove the purpose of entry or to limit the duration of stay on the territory, and without additional obligations from the epidemiological point of view.
If they are citizens or residents of green zone countries, which do not apply reciprocity towards the Czech Republic, (all other third green zone countries) and they stayed in the last 14 days in their territory, they can enter the Czech Republic only if they fall into one of the exceptions from the entry ban on third country citizens listed in the Ministry of Health Protective Measure. These exceptions are: visa or residence permit issued by the Czech Republic, international transport workers, diplomats and officials registered at the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, family members of EU citizens, interest of the Czech Republic, transit, urgent extraordinary situations. These persons do not have any additional obligations from the epidemiological point of view.
After the entry to the Czech Republic, all citizens or residents of green zone countries that stayed in the last 14 days more than 12 hours in the red zone country have the obligation to contact a respective regional hygiene station, undergo a PCR test and submit the test result to a regional hygiene station within 72 hours from the day of entry.
There is an entry ban on citizens or residents of third red zone countries. Only certain categories of persons with specific visa or residence permit in line with the Ministry of Health Protective Measure may enter the Czech Republic. After the entry to the Czech Republic, all these persons have the obligation to contact a respective regional hygiene station, undergo a PCR test and submit the test result to the regional hygiene station within 72 hours from the day of entry.
All persons entering the Czech Republic after stay in a red zone country that lasted more than 12 hours in the last 14 days must wear facemasks and limit their free movement in the territory until they submit the PCR test result to a regional hygiene station.
Regarding transits through the Czech Republic, all restrictions are no longer applicable for green zone countries. The existing rules continue to apply to red zone countries - this means that only journeys to a country of origin or to an EU country with permitted residence are allowed. If the person is transiting through the Czech Republic to a country of origin, a diplomatic note by the embassy of the country of origin in Prague must be issued. If the person is transiting through the Czech Republic to an EU country of residence, a diplomatic note by the embassy of the country that issued residence permit must be issued. All persons must wear face masks during the time of their transit through the Czech territory.