Are PLFs required when transiting for connecting flights?

Generally, no, a PLF is not required, since you are not entering the country. The PLF is for the purpose of contact tracing in the few days after your flight, so only useful to your destination country.

Each place you transit though may have specific requirements for transit passengers, especially what is considered as transit. You might try looking at the website of your transit airports.

An example is Amsterdam Schipol, by going to the airport website, you have links to a health declaration transit passengers must complete, and at least at one time a Quarantine Declaration, which you basically indicated you are aware that a quarantine was required, but you are exempt because you are only transiting.

Basically some of these are imposed because of the precarious nature of Schengen, technically on your trip you are entering Germany, or there is nothing preventing you from leaving the airport into Germany, so the forms show intent and awareness of requirements. However, Germany may not require anything. Looking quickly, maybe dig into this: https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/flights-and-transfer/covid-19/fly-safely.html Does not appear anything is required, but...

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the information! We completed the PLF’s for Germany and Italy, presented them at the ticket counter for our departing airport and there were no problems. You are correct about us entering in Germany as it was our entry into Europe. Our passports were checked there but nothing else. Before we boarded our flight to Italy, we were told that our PLF may be checked, on arrival there were no document checks of any kind.