Updating the list of countries heavily affected by the COVID-19 disease, German authorities announced that five countries will be removed from the high-risk list on Sunday, December 12.

The new list update was published by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), which is the German body responsible for disease prevention and control. According to the announcement, the following countries will no longer be part of the high-risk list:

• Armenia
• Iran
• Mongolia
• The Philippines
• Romania

Based on Germany’s current entry rules, the decision means that from December 12, vaccinated and recovered travelers arriving in Germany from one of the countries mentioned above will have to follow entry rules. less stringent entry, reports SchengenVisaInfo.com.

Travelers from Armenia, Iran, Mongolia, the Philippines and Romania, who have been fully vaccinated or recovered from the COVID-19 disease, will no longer have to register their entry before traveling to Germany.

Additionally, travelers from these countries will also be freed from the quarantine requirement.

By contrast, strict entry rules will continue to apply to unvaccinated and unrecovered travelers arriving in Germany from one of the countries to be removed from the high-risk list. They can only enter Germany for absolutely essential purposes, provided they comply with entry rules, such as testing and quarantine requirements.

As for Germany’s high-risk list, no new countries have been added to it. However, the list currently includes Switzerland, Poland, Liechtenstein and several other EU/Schengen countries such as Croatia, Belgium, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czechia and Hungary.

All travelers coming from a high-risk area must complete a digital entry form. In addition, those who have not been vaccinated or cured of the virus must remain in isolation for ten days upon arrival in Germany.

“Travelers who have previously been in a risk area must carry a test, vaccination or recovery certificate and, if using a carrier, present the proof for transport”, authorities explained.

Similar to the high-risk list, the German list of virus variant areas also remained unchanged. Currently, the list of virus variants includes Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

>> Germany categorizes 8 countries as virus variant zones

Earlier, German leaders agreed to impose tougher restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and its new variant. Since December 2, all people not vaccinated or cured of the virus have been denied access to several covered places.

>> Traveling to Germany now nearly impossible for the unvaccinated