Cross-border workers

Cross-border workers outside the Czech Republic

If you are one of the cross-border workers, it is recommended to frequently check the website of the embassy of the country in which you work. Conditions change dynamically.

If you can't find the answer on the page, call the Information Center for Trips Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic: +420 222 264 222 (available on MON-FRI from 08:00 - 16:00, however from 18.2. even outside this time frame there will be basic information regarding traveling to other countries available).

If you have lost your job as a cross-border worker, see the Guide to Applying for Unemployment Benefit for Cross-border workers (only in Czech) issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

The following regimes now apply to Germany:

From 14 November 2021, the Czech Republic is included on the list of high-risk countries. When traveling from the Czech Republic, it is necessary to register and have proof of infection-free status, i.e. proof of test, vaccination, or covid-19 disease.

Cross-border workers are exempt from the electronic registration requirement. They are also exempted from the obligation to have a certificate of infection-free status, but unless they have a certificate of completed vaccination (at least 14 days since the last dose) or of an illness (proof in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish, must be based on a PCR test carried out at least 28 days and at most 6 months ago), they must be tested twice a week for SARS-CoV-2.

The exemption only applies if the cross-border workers do not have the typical symptoms of covid-19.

If the cross-border workers have been in an area with a particularly contagious variant of the virus in the last 10 days before entering Germany (e.g. on holiday), entry without a 14-day quarantine is only possible if the border's activities are strictly necessary to maintain business processes.

If you are traveling by public transportation (i.e. bus, train, plane) to/from Germany, you must have documents proving that you are "OTN" (in Germany known as "3G"), i.e. that you have been vaccinated against covid-19, that you have recovered from the disease (max. 180 days ago) or that you have passed a test for covid-19 with a negative result (antigen or PCR test, which must not be older than 24 hours). Valid proof must be presented on request onboard the train during ticket check. This regulation applies to all journeys in Germany, including arriving and departing passengers as they enter/leave Germany, except for children under 6 years of age and schoolchildren.

Except for Saxony and Bavaria, which you will find below, you will find the rules of all Länder on the Federal Government website (German, English, French). Further information on entering Germany can be found on the website (only in Czech or German) of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Berlin and information directly for cross-border workers on the website (only in Czech or German) of the German Embassy in Prague.

Saxony:

Cross-border workers are exempted from electronic registration and quarantine. Unless they have a certificate of completed vaccination or suffer from the covid-19 disease (see above), they must be tested twice a week for SARS-CoV-2.

More information can be found on the website of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Dresden (only in German or Czech).

Bavaria:

Cross-border workers are exempted from electronic registration and quarantine. If they do not have a certificate of completed vaccination or suffer from the covid-19 disease (see above), they must be tested twice a week for SARS-CoV-2. For more information, please visit the website of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Munich.

Further information can be found on the website of the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Munich.

The following regime now applies to Austria:

Particular national rules are set by the Länder, so check the specific rules that apply where you are traveling. Pendlers can still prove their identity for entry by any of the methods listed below.

Cross-border workers are required to submit one of the following documents:

1. proof of vaccination (in English or German with the relevant details of the traveler and the action taken), a medical certificate on the following form (German, English), or a certificate with a QR code (digital green passport) confirming that the following persons are:

after having received the second dose of vaccine in the case of a two-dose vaccination (vaccination validity period: 270 days after the complete vaccination),
at least 21 days after vaccination with a vaccine that is a single-dose vaccine (validity period: 270 days from vaccination of the single-dose vaccine); the minimum interval for the validity of a booster vaccination after a single-dose vaccine not preceded by a pre-existing disease is 14 days,
at any time after vaccination (even after the first dose), provided that a positive PCR test has been performed at least 21 days before vaccination or the presence of neutralizing antibodies has been demonstrated before vaccination (vaccination validity period: 270 days),
vaccination with the third dose is recognized for the following 270 days if it follows at least 120 days after the completion of the previous vaccination.

A vaccine with EMA registration or WHO evaluation process is required, currently from Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Serum Institute of India, or Sinopharm.

2. certificate of suffering from Covid-19 in the last 180 days (in German or English) or a medical certificate (German, English).

3. a medical certificate of a PCR or, in the case of cross-border workers, an antigen test (not a self-test) with a negative result, the validity of the PCR test is 72 hours and the antigen test 24 hours (medical certificate form available in German and English. This form can be replaced by the test result in English or German if it contains the following information: name, surname, date of birth, date and time of collection, result (positive/negative), the signature of the person who carried out the test and the stamp of the institution that carried out the test or QR code).

If you have one of these documents, cross-border workers do not have to register electronically before entering Austria from the Czech Republic or from low-risk countries.

If the cross-border workers do not have one of the above documents available on arrival, they can be replaced by a test in Austria within 24 hours of crossing the border. It is possible to use free Austrian test stations for this (in this case you must prove the employer's registered office in Austria). You can find a suitable test site in the Czech Republic (only in Czech), Lower (only in German), or Upper (only in German) Austria. In this case, however, electronic registration is required.

Further information can be found on the website of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Vienna (only in Czech or German).

The following regimes now apply for Slovakia:

For entry into Slovakia, electronic registration and proof of vaccination are required (to be proved by an EU COVID digital certificate or other national certificates from a third country, which must include the name of the vaccine manufacturer in addition to the person's identification and date of vaccination). Vaccinated persons must register electronically only once every 6 months. Those who are not vaccinated must be quarantined upon arrival. Cross-border workers are exempt from this obligation.

In addition to registration, cross-border workers who can prove their employment relationship must have a negative PCR test that is no older than 7 days. Cross-border workers only need to register once a month. However, for access to workplaces in Slovakia, the validity of the tests is more strictly limited in some counties. You can find out what rules apply to your counties by using the COVID Automator (only in Slovak language).

Traveling students only need to have a negative antigen or PCR test, not older than 7 days, in addition to registration.

Athletes and performers must have a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours in addition to registration.

Details can be found in the section Traveling abroad > Slovakia and at the website of the Czech Embassy in Bratislava.

Poland

For Poland, the conditions may also vary according to the type of profession, see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for the latest information.

Czech cross-border workers heading back to the Czech Republic:

Neither fulfilling the arrival form nor submitting the PCR test result is required for Czech cross-workers while coming back to the Czech Republic.