COVID Test/Masks for Travel to Germany Next Week

I can only answer the second question. I flew Lufthansa to Zagreb June 6 and they were still requiring masks. I wore a KN95.

No, you don’t need tests prior to the flight. Yes, as of earlier this month Lufthansa was requiring masks, although apparently their policy is to not confront anyone to enforce it. My friends were on one of the Recent flights Frankfurt to St Louis and said most people complied.

The German government dropped all Covid entry requirements this month. Airlines may still require a mask be worn or they may request it. You can probably find the answer on Lufthansa’s website.
They likely will supply the masks when you board your flight if they require it.

Masks are also still mandated on public transit in Germany, so if you plan to take trains or buses after you arrive, you will need the masks in any case.

On 13 June we received the following email from Lufthansa: "For all Lufthansa flights, masks with the FFP2, FFP3, KN95 and N95 standard (each without a valve and not made of fabric) or surgical masks are mandatory. The mask obligation also applies to persons who have already been vaccinated or have recovered. Please also wear a mask during your entire stay at the airport, as well as during boarding and deboarding."

I was in Bavaria (Munich/Berchtesgaden) the third week of May. My experience: no masks in the Munchen airport. Masks casually worn on trains, trams and busses. Surgical masks common including train conductors and drivers. Have a great trip!

I was in Bavaria the third week of May. The train conductor required one passenger to put on a KN95 mask instead of a surgical mask and said some of his conductor friends were throwing people off trains for not having a FFP2/KN95 mask.

Masks in Hessen are still required on public transportation, but any medical mask will do.
I would certainly hope the airlines are still requiring masks on flights!

Thank you, All!

I gather we will take some surgical masks and our vaccination cards (though it seems we might not even need them anymore?).

Seems it is pretty safe to assume that we don't need to get tested prior to departure.

I heard today on German news that since they loosened the requirements their incident rate doubled. I guess we will see where this will go.

Thank you, everyone, for being so helpful. Great forum!

We’re leaving today on Lufthansa, and just received a reminder that we will need to have FFP2/N95/KN95 or surgical masks for the duration of the flight. The good news is that we don’t have to upload or have our COVID vaccination card checked, but we’re bringing it regardless and keeping it in the money belt.

@Dave, that is so interesting that we had such different experiences. I saw multiple conductors wearing surgical masks.

I would definitely take KN95 masks over surgical masks. If you get the right kind to fit your face they are just as comfortable and nobody is going to be upset that your mask is too good, but you might run into trouble with a surgical mask. I do recall that at the Residenz in Munich, if you didn't have a KN95 or equivalent you had to purchase one for 1 Euro or you couldn't enter.

I flew Delta from ATL to MUC and we were not required to wear masks on the flight. I also did not see many masks at MUC airport when we landed.

I saw people who had to purchase the FPP2 masks at Neuschwanstein a couple of weeks ago.

Dave and vandrabrud,

the rules about who needs to wear which type of mask are complex, because there are different rules for passengers and employees, and different rules on different types of transport, and the rules vary by Bundesland (the last isn't relevant for your stories as you were both in Bavaria, but the other two explain the many of the discrepancies you saw). Here, for those who want to test their legal German, is an excerpt from the latest set of rules from Bayern enacted at the end of May (translation into English from DeepL).

In principle, you can never go wrong with an FFP2, but can run into problems with a surgical mask in some settings.

Weiterhin strenge FFP2-Maskenpflicht gilt in Bayern im öffentlichen
Personennahverkehr für Reisende. Für die Beschäftigten dort gilt die
Pflicht zum Tragen einer medizinischen Gesichtsmaske im Rahmen der
arbeitsschutzrechtlichen Bestimmungen. (Im öffentlichen
Personenfernverkehr gilt für Reisende wie Beschäftigte die Pflicht zum
Tragen einer FFP2-Maske oder medizinischen Maske bundesrechtlich nach
§ 28b IfSG).

Strict FFP2 mask obligation continues to apply in Bavaria in local
public transport for travelers. For employees there, the obligation to
wear a medical face mask applies within the framework of occupational
health and safety regulations. (In long-distance public transport, the
obligation to wear an FFP2 mask or medical mask applies to both
travelers and employees under federal law in accordance with Section
28b IfSG).