Germany visa and entry requirements

Under the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6(1)(a)), a non-EU visitor's passport must remain valid for at least 3 months after the intended date of departure from the Schengen Area (this may be waived in a justified case of emergency) and must have been issued within the previous 10 years.

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No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.

Schengen visa applicants must prove they hold adequate and valid travel medical insurance, valid throughout the Schengen Area for the whole intended stay, with minimum coverage of €30,000. The Federal Foreign Office advises visitors who do not need a visa to take out health insurance before the trip that also covers return transport to their home country.

Under the Schengen Borders Code, the non-exhaustive list of supporting documents a border guard may request (Annex I) includes, as regards return, a return or round-trip ticket. The UK government says British visitors may need to show a return or onward ticket at German border control.

Under the Schengen Borders Code (Article 6(1)(c)), non-EU visitors must have sufficient means of subsistence for the intended stay and for the return, or be in a position to acquire such means lawfully. Germany's Federal Foreign Office says proof may have to be provided, that the amount depends on the type and length of stay, and that there are no fixed daily rates.

• EES — Entry/Exit System (biometric registration) — The UK Foreign Office says that on short stays in the Schengen Area you may need to register biometric details such as fingerprints and a photo in the EU Entry/Exit System, that on your first visit you may be asked to do this at a special booth before the immigration desk, that there is no cost for EES registration, and that you need take no action before you arrive at the border. (at the border on first entry) travel-europe.europa.eu ↗(opens in a new tab)
• ETIAS — European Travel Information and Authorization System — The 30 European countries covered by ETIAS will require visa-exempt travellers to have an ETIAS travel authorisation. It is currently not in operation and no applications are being collected; the EU will announce the start date several months before launch. The official ETIAS website is travel-europe.europa.eu. (before travel, once etias starts) travel-europe.europa.eu ↗(opens in a new tab)

Whoever stays in Germany without the required residence title while enforceably obliged to leave, with no departure period granted or the period expired, and whose deportation is not suspended, is punishable by imprisonment of up to one year or a fine. Committing this negligently is an administrative offence punishable by a fine of up to three thousand euros.

Cash of €10,000 or more (or its equivalent in other currencies) must be declared to customs when entering or leaving the EU.

• Entering from outside the EU, the EU's Your Europe portal gives a duty-free allowance of 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer, plus 1 litre of spirits over 22% vol. (or 2 litres of fortified or sparkling wine); 200 cigarettes (or 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco) where the higher tobacco limit applies, since a higher or lower limit may apply depending on the EU country; and other goods worth up to €300, or €430 for travellers by air and sea.
• Arriving from another EU country, Your Europe says no further payments are due on alcohol and tobacco bought for your own use and not for resale. Each EU country sets guideline quantities, which may not be lower than, for example, 800 cigarettes or 10 litres of spirits; if customs suspect goods are not for your own use, you may be asked to prove that they are.