Which obligations travellers must fulfil to be allowed to enter the Czech Republic and under which conditions, depends mainly on which country they are traveling from and whether they are Czech / EU citizens or not.
The Czech Ministry of Health keeps a list of countries, where the green countries (low risk), orange countries (medium risk) and red countries (high risk) are listed. All other countries not on the list are considered to be at very high risk of infection (dark red countries).
Travellers who have stayed in an orange, red or dark red country for more than 12 hours in the last 14 days are required to meet various conditions, which depend on whether they are Czech / EU citizens with residency permit in the Czech Republic or third-country nationals or whether they have arrived by public or individual transport:
- Persons travelling from the orange countries are obliged to have a written confirmation of a negative result of an antigen (not older than 24 h.) or PCR test (not older than 72 h.) before entering the Czech Republic
- Citizens of the Czech Republic / EU citizens with residency permit in the Czech Republic traveling by individual transport do not have to pass a test before entry, however, they must undergo an antigen or PCR test no later than on the fifth day after arrival.
- Persons travelling from the red countries are obliged to have a written confirmation of a negative result of an antigen (not older than 24 h.) or PCR test (not older than 72 h.) before entering the Czech Republic. These persons must then take a PCR test in the Czech Republic no later than on the fifth day after arrival.
- Citizens of the Czech Republic / EU citizens with residency permit in the Czech Republic traveling by individual transport do not have to pass a test before entry the Czech Republic, however, they must undergo PCR test no later than on the fifth day after arrival.
- Persons travelling from the dark red countries are obliged to have a written confirmation of a negative result of PCR test before entering the Czech Republic (not older than 72 h.). These persons must then take a PCR test in the Czech Republic no earlier than on the 5th day after arrival.
- For a Czech citizen / EU citizen with residency permit in the Czech Republic is enough to have a negative result of an antigen test before entering the territory of the Czech Republic, instead of PCR test (PCR is also possible).
If the test is positive after arrival, the person is automatically obliged to undergo an isolation for 14 days. After 14 days, isolation will be automatically cancelled for people who show no symptoms (no further testing is required).
At the same time, all persons traveling from orange, red or dark red countries must:
- fill in an electronic arrival form before entering Czech territory and carry paper / electronical confirmation of completion of the form when crossing borders,
- wear a respirator when outside the home at least 14 days,
- undergo a self-isolation after arrival until a negative test result is submitted (if a test is needed).
Exceptions
The above conditions must not meet e.g. international transport workers; cross-border workers, pupils and students; EU citizens or foreigners with a long-term stay in the EU who transit within 12 hours through the Czech Republic; members of diplomatic missions; persons under 5 years; professional athletes who have been permitted to participate in a sporting event; travellers to or from the Czech Republic for less than 12 hours for urgent medical, family or business reasons; or EU citizens / persons with residency permit in the Czech Republic who have demonstrably suffered from COVID-19 in the last 90 days.
These persons may enter the Czech Republic even without passing a test or quarantine.
Peter Perniš, Senior Associate
Martina Vodičková, Associate
