Czech Republic Has Removed Most Border Controls With Austria and Germany
The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic has decided to lift most of the border controls at the border crossings with Germany and Austria, which were introduced back in March this year, amid the Coronavirus outbreak.
The decision has been approved on May 25 by the government upon the proposal of the Minister of the Interior Jan HamáÄek (CSSD) to change the regime on the borders with Germany and Austria.
As of May 26, comprehensive and systematic border controls have been put to an end, and all road and rail crossings have opened for both countries.
“From Tuesday, we are opening all railway and road crossings with Germany and Austria, as well as the HÅ™ensko river crossing, and we are abolishing comprehensive border controls. We negotiated with our German and Austrian colleagues so that the conditions would be similar for them as well,” said Jan HamáÄek, adding that it will be possible to cross the border at the specified places without a time limit.
Yet, the government has decided to keep effective the obligation to have a negative test for COVID-19 remains, as does a measure that does not allow tourists to enter the Czech Republic.
“As part of the relaxation of conditions, checks at the borders with Germany and Austria will be targeted and random, and the police will not check every passenger. The police will select places flexibly based on epidemiological risk assessments in cooperation with hygienists,” a press release of the ministry reads, noting that this will significantly reduce the staffing of controls for the police and open up more border crossings.
For flights in the Schengen area will be available the following airports:
- Brno / Tuřany
- Karlovy Vary
- Ostrava / Mošnov
- Pardubice
- Prague / RuzynÄ›
- Prague / Kbely
The decision on the protection of internal borders remains effective until June 13, 2020, and crossing borders outside designated places is still prohibited until then. The Czech Republic will not yet allow entry into its territory due to tourism, and the conditions for entry are still regulated by measures of the Ministry of Health.
On the borders with Slovakia and Poland, the reintroduction of internal border protection by Poland and Slovakia still remains.
