Germany has moved Britain to their "red list"

[Opus17]

I was meant to fly home on Tuesday after 2 and a half years. Now it would mean a PCR before we come back and a 14 day quarantine, regardless of vaccination status. Very unlikely we'll be able to go now.
My mum was out buying our food shop this morning and we were chatting about our Tuesday evening plans.
I'm devastated.

Go anyway Opus. 14 days is nothing after 2.5 years not seeing your Mum.

She might put a brave face on it but she will be devastated if you don’t see her.

Absolutely still go. I went home to see my family and quarantined at theirs for a week. It wasn't what we had planned but it was still 100% worth it.

Hello, where can I find this information. Similar situation.

Thanks all. Going to discuss it with my husband tomorrow and see if we can make it work but it's looking difficult.

It's the Robert kock institute. It updated tonight. www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Risikogebiete_neu.html;jsessionid=9EC4A343D8EE256C5B09B89D6CF88264.internet071?nn=13490888#Start

Koch*

We’re in the same boat, OP. Flying later this week. We’re still going. I’m done with waiting, this is the new normal and I’m going to damn well work around it!

Appreciate that the 14 quarantine might be difficult for you depending on your work circumstances (we only have schools to think about as both of us can work from home).

It’s so tough that a very small minority of expat families are being significantly affected by the almost negligible positive effects of travel restrictions to try to delay omicron. DH flew into Innsbruck from Gatwick yesterday and the flight was completely full with Brits going skiing for the weekend.

I think it’s too late for travel restrictions, omicron is just too contagious for travel restrictions to make any significant impact.

Op can you drive through France? If you have residency in Germany, France will let you back in for transit to your home, and if you cross the France/German border they’ll just see you as an arrival from France?

Won’t work, you have to declare where you’ve been for the past 14 days. I wouldn’t want to lie to the German border police if I got stopped!

I’m sorry @Opus17, I hope you can make it work xx

Sorry op. Can you self isolate whilst you’re there ? I know it’s not ideal but sometimes we have to adapt to whatever in order to see our families

Sending you hugs

That's shit but not entirely surprising. Is it because the UK is now a Virusvariantengebiet rather than a Hochrisikogebiet? Because for the latter you're exempted from quarantine if fully vaccinated. I can imagine that Germany is hoping to slow Omicron for another week or two until the booster programme is getting a bit further. Still shit if you want to visit family though.

I'd still go. 2.5 years is far too long. Life is short, you never know what might happen and you don't want to regret not having gone when you possibly could

Thank you for posting this. We were due to fly on Tuesday as well and I wouldn't have been aware - it seems that the gov websites are not yet updated.

Due to go to Spain for a city break mid Jan. Do you think UK is going to shut their borders?

We are treble jabbed.

I dont think Britain is going to shut its borders, there'd be no point. I think it's possible likely that more and more countries red list us though.

The U.K. will be a Virusvariantengebiet from the 20th Dec.

Honestly, it’s just too late. EasyJet had 3 flights into Innsbruck on Friday morning, and if DH’s flight was anything to go by, they would have all been full of potential omicron cases off skiing for the weekend. Loads of Germans also hop over the border to Austria at this end of Germany to go skiing too, and hospitality is open to all vaccinated customers. The German skiers will then take Omicron back with them, as we know being vaccinated is no help against catching omicron.

Meanwhile my family has to deal with huge uncertainty, pricey PCR tests and quarantine for 14 days, in order to see our family at Christmas, to help protect the German health system. I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, it’s just that this particular horse has bolted.

I’ve just seen the news, I’m in Germany too OP. I thankfully managed to travel to the UK a few times this autumn whilst it was still possible.

Can you fly tomorrow? Do you live near an airport with available flights tomorrow, even if it’s to another city in Germany? If you arrive before midnight you don’t need to isolate.

It’s rubbish, I feel for you. I also have no idea how long this is going to last or whether I should start changing my flights for January and February and cancelling work and postponing a family reunion in England yet again I haven’t seen my relatives in 2 years now.

I think the OP is planning on flying to the U.K., and the problem is that she’ll have to get a pre-flight PCR and quarantine for 2 weeks (!) upon her return to Germany after Christmas.

That’s true, sorry, I hadn’t read her post properly. That’s utterly shit then

Really sorry OP, but why did you not go back when there were no restrictions such as in the summer?

Do they not realise they have it there already , we had countries on the red list , its still got here

We were meant to be driving the Germany just after Christmas to see my DH's parents but we've cancelled as it was all getting very complicated with France and tests and quarantine etc. We both have work commitments to get back to so can't get stuck in quarantine. Hopefully will go a few months later. It's definitely tough on families who are split between countries, DH hasn't seen his dad in 18 months. Hope it works out for your OP.

Sorry for those whose plans are also affected.

@Blackbird2020 that's great you're still going. I hope it all goes well for you!
Unfortunately, my husband has a new job and he's starting early January so it just won't be possible for him to come. We're debating whether I go with DS but I'm not sure it's the right decision with the UK lockdown potentially happening on December 27th. With isolation there, I'd have maybe 3 days to see all my family and friends. It's just complicated and difficult and I'm gutted.

@BelgianWaffles a few reasons. I didn't want to travel until fully vaccinated - my personal decision but I'm at slightly higher risk. Germany didn't want to vaccinate me because I was breastfeeding and it took me a while to find a doctor who would do it so I wasn't fully vaccinated until September. By that point, with Boris saying no more lockdowns, I naively thought 3 weeks at Christmas would be worth the wait. There were also no direct flights from my city here to my UK city, or any nearby. So it would've cost a lot and had a change.
Lastly, I have been writing my dissertation since August and due to finish in the next few days so I was getting that done too.

I’d still go and quarantine when you get back. Things are changing so quickly countries are moving on and off red lists all the time. See us with S.Africa. Once Omicron has taken hold in a country travel restrictions are pointless. So it may all change in a week or so.

@Opus17 Sorry that you’ve had to come to this conclusion, especially having to decide between DH or your mother. There must be so many families affected by these last minute changes Wondering how many German expat families living in the U.K. are waking up to the fact that they have to somehow get a PCR test turned round in the next 12 hours to be able to get on a flight tomorrow….