Europe

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• General
 

Travel Summary

• Lufthansa pilots strike: negotiations are continuing, however, pilots are prepared to go on strike in the week commencing 8 March; disruption may continue over the coming weeks.
  
  
• There is a general threat from terrorism in Germany. Such attacks could be indiscriminate, including in public places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. See the Terrorism section of this Travel Advice.
  
  
• We are aware of British nationals who have been arrested for possessing counterfeit currency.  We advise against changing currency anywhere other than banks or legitimate Bureaux de Change.
  
  
• 2,219,000 British nationals visited Germany in 2007 (Source: Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland - www.destatis.de ). Most visits are trouble-free. 682 British nationals required consular assistance in Germany in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March -2009 for the following types of incident: deaths (438 cases); hospitalisations (48 cases); and arrests, for a variety of offences (148 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (990 cases).  If you need to contact the emergency services in Germany call 112.  
  
  
• You should carry your passport with you at all times.  German police have the right to ask to see identification.
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling to Germany.  See the General (Insurance) section of this Travel Advice.

Safety and security

Terrorism

There is a general threat from terrorism in Germany. Such attacks could be indiscriminate, including in public places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.. Although the German security authorities have averted serious terrorist attacks, they assess that the threat from terrorism remains high and urge individuals to maintain a high level of vigilance.

The German government took measures to enhance security throughout the country in the run up to the national elections which took place on 27 September 2009. On 18 September 2009 a video was released claiming to be from Al Qaeda warning the German people against re-electing the current government and not removing its troops from Afghanistan.

For more general information see Terrorism abroad.

Crime

You should take normal, sensible precautions to avoid mugging, bag snatching and pickpocketing.  You should be extra vigilant at airports railway stations and Christmas Markets.  Do not leave valuables unattended.  For more general information see Victims of crime abroad.

Political Situation

Germany Country Profile

Local Travel

There is an environmental zone (umweltzone) in Berlin's inner city centre.  Only vehicles that meet specific exhaust emission standards will be allowed to enter the zone. Any vehicles with especially high emissions are barred.   Please see the following link for full details.   http://www.berlin.de/

Road Travel

If you wish to drive in Germany you must carry a valid driving licence, insurance and vehicle documents with you in the vehicle at all times.  If the vehicle does not belong to the driver, written permission from the registered owner may also be requested.   The minimum age for driving a car in Germany is 18 years old.  17 year-old British drivers with valid British licences are not permitted to drive a car.  Anyone who contravenes this law may be fined and your vehicle will be impounded.  Advice on driving outside the UK can be obtained from motoring organisations such as the AA and RAC.  In 2008 there were 4,477 road deaths in Germany (source: DfT).  This equates to 5.4 road deaths per 100,000 of population and compares to the UK average of 4.3 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2008.

Many drivers undertake long journeys in, or through, Germany.  Care should be taken to plan journeys and take sufficient breaks; a minimum break of 15 minutes after every two hours of driving is recommended.   It is illegal to take part in motor vehicle races or rallies on German roads.  Such activities constitute an offence under paragraph 29 of the German Highway Code.  Offenders are liable to be detained, fined and to have their vehicles confiscated.   Pedestrians in Germany should be aware that it is illegal and dangerous to cross German pedestrian crossings when the red pedestrian light is on.  Offenders render themselves liable to a fine and all costs in the event of an accident.

For more general information see Driving abroad. 

Air Travel

The revised EU-wide security measures that came into effect for all passengers departing from UK airports in November 2006 are also being implemented in France.  For more details about this see Airline security

Local laws and customs

You should carry your valid passport with you at all times.  German police have the right to ask to see identification.  For British citizens, the only acceptable form of ID is a valid passport.

For more general information for different types of travellers see Your trip.

Entry requirements

Visas

You need a passport or a National Identity Card (see the website of the Identity and Passport Service (IPS)) to enter Germany.   British Citizens and EU passport holders do not require a visa. 

Passport validity

British nationals entering Germany must have a valid passport.  

Stays of longer than three months

If you intend to stay in Germany for three months or more you must register with the German authorities (Einwohnermeldeamt) within seven days of arrival.  Those staying in Germany for a short visit are not normally required to register.  Hotels are legally obliged to register guests and this information is passed automatically to the Einwohnermeldeamt.   There is no longer a requirement for EU Citizens to apply for a residence permit.  

Working in Germany

If you intend to work in Germany, you should obtain detailed information on employment regulations from the German Embassy.

Travelling with children

Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country or, in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. For further information on exactly what will be required at immigration please contact the German Embassy.

Health

The Form E111 is no longer valid.  You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as German nationals.  It also does not cover you for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature.  For more general information see EHIC.

In the 2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 52,000 adults aged 15 or over in Germany were living with HIV; the prevalence rate was estimated at around 0.1% of the adult population. This compares to the prevalence rate in adults in the UK of around 0.2%.  You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

You should seek medical advice before travelling to Germany and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date.  For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit the websites of the  NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

For more general health information see Travel health.

General

Insurance

We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the all activities you want to undertake.  For more general information see Travel insurance.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas see When Things Go Wrong.

Registration

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency. 

Emergency Passports

The British Consulate-General, Düsseldorf is the only passport issuing post within Germany.  However Emergency Passports (EPs) can be obtained from either the British Embassy Berlin, the British Consulates-General,  Munich and Düsseldorf, or the Honorary-Consul office Hamburg (arranged by calling the British Embassy Berlin).

An Emergency Passport is a piece of paper valid for 1 journey to the UK.  This paper is usually surrendered on arrival to the UK and you must then obtain a new passport from your nearest Passport Office in the UK.

A call centre now handles all passport enquiries. If you wish to speak to an operator please call Careline on 0044 208 082 4723 or from Austria 0044 208 082 4724 between 08:00 and 17:00 GMT Monday to Friday. Alternatively please email consular.section@duesseldorf.mail.fco.gov.uk. 

Money

Since 15 June 2007 new legislation on the controls of cash entering or leaving the EU apply in all Member States.  Any person entering or leaving the EU will have to declare the cash that they are carrying if this amounts to 10,000 euros or more; this includes cheques, travellers' cheques, money orders, etc.  This will not apply to anyone travelling via the EU to a non-EU country, as long as the original journey started outside of the EU nor to those travelling within the EU.