From April 3rd, 2022, at the latest, the “basic protection” and “hotspot regulations” apply. As a result, in many areas of public life, the COVID rules will be relaxed. Only when a federal state declares the entire state or cities or districts as a hotspot could reintroduction of restrictive measures in public life be permitted.
The basic protection regulations consists of the following:
Bus & Train
There is no access restriction for public transportation. Whether passengers must wear a "medical mask" while travelling on public transportation is a decision each federal state can make independently. So-called "surgical masks" and "FFP2 masks" are considered medical masks. On many forms of public transportation, you'll need to wear an FFP2 mask. Check which COVID rules currently apply in your federal state.
Work
Employers can decide which measures to implement in their company/office. They should, however, align their decision to the infection rates in the company- and adhere to the "hotspot regulations" when they apply.
Your employer will tell you whether and where you have to wear a mask at your workplace. They also decide whether free COVID tests should be provided in the workplace. If there is no free test available in your workplace, keep in mind that you can benefit from the so-called "citizen tests" in COVID test centres, which are still available free of charge. You can learn more about COVID tests in our "Coronavirus" chapter in the section "How can I get tested for the coronavirus?".
You can find more information on Coronavirus and work in our chapter "Coronavirus: Work".
Shopping
There is no access restriction in shops, e.g., in the retail sector, supermarkets, drugstores, pharmacies and petrol stations. However, you must still keep a minimum distance of 1.50 meters from other people.
Whether passengers must wear a "medical mask" while shopping is a decision each federal state can make independently. On the website of the Federal Government there is a list of the federal states- there you can find out which COVID rules currently apply in your federal state.
Gastronomy
There is no access restriction in restaurants, pubs, bars and cafés. Whether you must wear a "medical mask" is a decision each federal state can make independently. Check which COVID rules currently apply in your federal state.
Leisure
There is no access restriction in leisure facilitieslike cinemas, museums, theatres, clubs, swimming pools or gyms. Whether you must wear a "medical mask" is a decision each federal state can make independently. On the website of the Federal Government there is a list of the federal states- there you can find out which COVID rules currently apply in your federal state. On the same website, you can also read about the regulations concerning larger events.
Even if you do not have to show a negative COVID test result to enter leisure facilities, it is a good idea to take a test, especially if you are planning to go somewhere where there are lots of people. You can benefit from the so-called “citizen tests” in test centres. These tests are still available free of charge. You can learn more about COVID tests in our "Coronavirus" chapter in the section "How can I get tested for Coronavirus?".
Contact Restrictions
Currently, there are no contact restrictions. However, if your place of residence is declared a “hotspot”, then some contact restrictions may be reintroduced.
On the website of the Federal Government there is a list of the federal states- there you can find out which COVID rules currently apply in your federal state.
Mask obligation & Distancing
You may have to wear a medical mask in closed spaces such as medical practices, hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants and event venues, museums, schools, when shopping, on buses and trains and in many other public places where other people are present. That is a decision each federal state can make independently. Check which COVID rules currently apply in your federal state.
If you refuse to wear a mask where it is mandatory, you may have to pay a fine. The amount of fine differs depending on the federal state. You can find out more about the amount of relevant fines at bussgeldkatalog.org.
You should generally keep a distance of at least 1.50 meters from people who do not live in your household.
Please note: The basic protection applies everywhere in Germany from April 3rd, 2022, at the latest. However, COVID rules can differ in your federal state. That depends on the respective hotspot regulations. You can visit bundesregierung.de and select your federal state to find out which rules currently apply in your place of residence (in German).
Please note: If the situation gets worse in certain places, the federal states can declare the area “hotspot” and implement respective hotspot regulations. That means 3G, 2G and 2G-Plus rules could be reintroduced in those areas.
An overview of the 3G, 2G and 2G Plus rules:
- 3G: vaccinated, recovered or those with negative test results
- 2G: vaccinated or recovered
- 2G Plus: vaccinated with a negative test result or recovered with a negative test result. Only those who have received a booster jab do not need to show a negative test result when 2G Plus applies.