COVID-19: What You Should Know before You Come

Conditions of entry into the Czech Republic

Based on available data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the Ministry of Health has updated the list of countries according to the degree of risk of the disease, which will take effect from Monday January 24th. Due to the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant, stricter rules are set for the entry of foreigners into the Czech Republic. The classification of countries into individual categories remains unchanged.
 
The Vatican City State belongs to the category of countries with a low risk of infection (green category). From non-European countries or parts thereof, Bahrain, Chile, Indonesia, Colombia, Korea, Qatar, Kuwait, Macao, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, Rwanda, the Oriental Republic of Uruguay or Taiwan.
 
Another category is countries or territories with a medium risk of infection (orange category). None of the countries currently falls into this category.
 
The traffic light also includes the category of countries with a high risk of infection (red category). Poland and Romania currently fall into this category.
 
Into the category of countries with a very high risk of infection (dark red category) falls Andorra, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Finland, Malta, Italy, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Norway, Germany, Hungary, Monaco, Iceland, Ireland, Austria, Greece, Estonia, Lithuania, Portugal incl. Madeira and Azores, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain incl. Balearic and Canary Islands and Switzerland and other non-EU third countries.
 
In order to prevent the spread of the new omicron mutation, foreigners who do not have a residence permit in the Czech Republic will be obliged to have a negative PCR test result before entering the Czech Republic. This includes foreigners who have completed vaccinations or have had COVID-19.
 
Only foreigners vaccinated with a booster dose have an exception if they are vaccinated in a country whose certificate the Czech Republic recognizes – a list of these countries is published on the website here. Another exception is children under 12 years of age. The special regime applies to children aged 12-18, where fully vaccinated children (without a booster) also have an exception from the pre-entry test. Unvaccinated persons or persons who have not developed covid-19 must subsequently undergo an RT-PCR test between the 5th and 7th day after entering the territory of the Czech Republic and wear a respirator when leaving the residence or accommodation until the result of this test.
 
Vaccination of third-country nationals who have completed vaccination from a non-EU country with a substance approved by the European Medicines Agency or its equivalent vaccine approved by the World Health Organization for emergency use is also recognized. These persons must also have a verifiable certificate issued, which is published in the list of certificates on the website of the Ministry of Health. It can also be a vaccination from countries for which an implementing act has been concluded and they issue a certificate according to the EU covid regulation. The Czech Republic also accepts certificates from those countries where EMA-approved vaccines are taking place, vaccination rates are higher than in the Czech Republic, the country provides reliable and verifiable data on the pandemic and cooperates within international organizations in the fight against the pandemic.
 
Citizens of the Czech Republic returning from the red and dark red categories must fill in the Arrival Form before returning to the Czech Republic and at the same time undergo an antigen or PCR test before returning if they use public transport to return. These persons are also obliged to undergo a PCR test upon their return to the Czech Republic, no earlier than the 5th day and no later than the 7th day after entering the territory of the Czech Republic. In the case of a trip to the Czech Republic by individual transport, it is not necessary to have a test before the start of the trip, and also to undergo a PCR test no earlier than day 5 and no later than day 14 after entering the territory of the Czech Republic. This obligation also applies to fellow travelers and family members of Czech citizens who have a temporary residence permit issued in the Czech Republic, as well as citizens of the European Union with a temporary residence permit issued to the Czech Republic or foreigners with a long-term or permanent residence permit in the Czech Republic.
 
The conditions for testing when returning from abroad do not apply to Czech citizens and foreigners with a residence permit who have completed vaccinations or have suffered from COVID-19 in the last 180 days. All they have to do is fill in the Arrival Form. Regardless of the category of the country.

TESTING
From November 1, free testing for covid will end. Tests will be free only for:
- children and adolescents under 18,
- vaccinated persons,
- persons who have started vaccinations,
- persons who cannot be vaccinated due to contraindications.
Tests prescribed by a doctor or hygienist will also be reimbursed.
The validity of the negative PCR test is shortened to 3 days, the negative antigen test is valid for 24 hours.

Persons travelling from the country with a low and medium risk are obliged to fill in the arrival form (the exception have children under the age of 6) and undergo an antigen or PCR test before or within 5 days after arrival. Travellers from the countries with a high and a very high risk are obliged to fill in the arrival form (the exception have children under the age of 6), have to submit negative PCR test before arrival (when travelling by public transport) and undergo a RT-PCR test 5th day after the arrival at the earliest.

From 7th December the Ministry of Health changes the conditions for filling in the arrival form. It will no longer be required of persons who enter the territory of the Czech Republic and travel only by individual land transport at all times. In connection with the omicron variant, an entry form from green countries is still required when entering the Czech Republic.
 
The changes also concern exceptions for citizens of non-EU countries, if in exceptional situations their entry and physical presence in the Czech Republic is absolutely necessary and entry is evidenced by a corresponding document issued by the head of the central state administration body. Newly, the mere general indication of the need for physical presence does not fulfill the condition of a proper justification. The document also cannot be issued for accompanying family members of the requesting foreigner. On the contrary, it fulfills the exception if the entry is in the foreign policy interest of the Czech Republic, which is decided by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
 
Another exception for non-EU nationals applies to a minor traveling with his or her legal guardian or accompanying another person who holds a national vaccination certificate or has undergone covid-19, and the certificate is valid for longer than the intended length of stay. However, this provision cannot be used for school trips and similar group arrivals.
 
The rules for accepting vaccination certificates from third countries have been clarified. In addition to remotely verifiable certificates, the Czech Republic now also accepts certificates from those countries where EMA-approved vaccines are in place, vaccination rates are higher than in the Czech Republic, the country provides reliable and verifiable data on the pandemic and cooperates within international organizations to combat the pandemic. Complete conditions for returning to the Czech Republic from abroad during the covid-19 pandemic can be found here.

Antigenic and PCR tests are no longer possible to prove oneself in leisure activities only by vaccination or confirmation of past illness in the last 180 days. This will end the recognition of antigenic and, with some exceptions of PCR tests.
 
The exception applies to children under the age of 12, who, as before, will not have to prove themselves at all. The tests will continue to be available to young people aged 12 to 18 or people who cannot be vaccinated due to health reasons. However, the doctor must enter the reason for the contraindication of vaccination in the Information System of Infectious Diseases (ISIN). Furthermore, it will be possible to prove the test, for example, when entering spa care, accommodation in university dormitories or in elections to the administrative bodies of legal entities. PCR tests and antigen tests, but exclusively collected by healthcare professionals, will also be recognized for visits to hospitals or social services facilities, including the presence of the father at birth.
 
After arrivals from countries with a high and very high risk, the obligation of self-isolation is abolished in the period after entering the Czech Republic until the test result is received (unless an exception from the testing obligation is applied). During this time, however, the persons concerned are obliged to use the FFP2 respirator or its equivalent.

Complete conditions for returning to the Czech Republic from abroad during the covid-19 pandemic can be found here.
 

The exception from testing

(but not filling in the arrival form) is applied to:

• Persons who had COVID-19 in the last 180 days (it is necessary to have a written medical certificate from EU+ country where the isolation was completed or a digital EU certificate on it).
• Persons fully vaccinated in the EU+ countries after at least 14 days from the application of the last dose (it is necessary to have a national certificate or a digital EU certificate).
• Czech citizens and EU+ citizens fully vaccinated in a third country with the EMA approved vaccination after at least 14 days from the application of the last dose (it is necessary to have a certificate whose sample is published on the Ministry of Health´s website).

Rules for testing:

Testing before arrival to the Czech Republic:
1) PCR not longer than 48 hours before starting the travel
2) antigen not longer than 24 hours

Testing after arrival to the Czech Republic - within 5 days after arrival from countries with low and medium risk and 5th day after the arrival from a country with high or very high risk at the earliest. During thist time, however, the persons concerned are obliged to use the FFP2 respiraor or its equivalent.

From 1^st July, the EU Digital COVID certificate for vaccination, testing or covering from COVID-19 will be used exclusively when traveling within the EU. Fully vaccinated citizens of the Czech Republic will have their rules relaxed when traveling throughout the EU.

Detailed information can be found here.

List of low, medium and high risk countries can be found HERE - PDF

For Czech citizens there is an application čTečka (E-reader), where they can save their vaccination certificate, tests or certificate of covering from COVID-19.

 

• A common list of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, including those of which their test results are mutually recognised, and a common standardised set of data to be included in COVID-19 test result certificates.
• National Certificates Types
• Step-by-step guide on quarantine measures

In case you need to contact an embassy or a consulate of your country while in the Czech Republic, please see the List of Foreign Missions to the Czech Repulic.