Vacations in times of Corona: Where travel warnings currently apply

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Not only Austria demands covid-tests or quarantine of returning citizens.

Summer is soon over, but the vacation season is not. Since the infection numbers are not decreasing, strict Corona vacation rules should be implemented. The 8 most important questions and answers.

1. In which country can I still travel? And where does a travel warning apply?

On Friday, Hungary announced that it will close its borders to tourists from September 1. A travel warning is currently in force for Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Croatia, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Spain (including the Balearic Islands), Sweden, Turkey and the USA.

2. What does this mean when I travel back to Austria from these countries where travel warning apply?

Returnees must present a negative corona test (for example at border controls), which must not be older than 72 hours. Those who do not have one must agree to ten days of home quarantine.

However, this can be shortened by a PCR test carried out in Austria (within 48 hours). There are several test lines in the provinces and also one at the airport Vienna-Schwechat.

3. Which countries require tests from Austrians?

A number of countries also blacklisted Austria. Negative PCR tests or quarantine are mandatory for entry into Bosnia-Herzegovina, Estonia, Finland, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Romania and Russia. Before entering Greece, Great Britain and Iceland an online registration is necessary. The USA has imposed a general entry ban on EU citizens.

4. What will be controlled?

There are controls at the border crossings as well as at airports. But after the fuss about the traffic jams in Carinthia last weekend, the federal government made it clear that random checks are sufficient. Those entering Carinthia must fill out forms about their whereabouts and the duration of their journey and agree to go into quarantine if necessary.

5 .What happens to the completed forms?

They will be collected and forwarded to the district authority responsible for the person’s main place of residence. After a period of ten days these slips of paper can be destroyed.

6. What happens when people give false identities (e.g. wrong names or address) at the border?

Of course, this can never be ruled out, especially for returnees who are travelling by car. However, they must be prepared to ask detailed questions about their supposed whereabouts when they are checked. In the case of people who travel home by plane, any possibility of deception is excluded due to the bookings.

7. Should I disclose my employer where I am spending my vacation?

In times before Corona, the answer was simple: no. Legally, vacationing is part of the private life of every single employee. But because of the pandemic, employers must be able to establish security measures for the business.

This also includes knowledge of the countries in which an employee was staying: If the boss asks why, it may be necessary to disclose the destination.

8. If you travel to a particular country despite a travel warning, what does that mean in the event of an infection?

Usually, in the event of illness, the employee is entitled to continued payment of his or her salary unless it was caused intentionally or through gross negligence. Vacation in a country with a valid highest travel warning can be interpreted according to lawyers. Then there would be no continued payment of salary, the quarantine would be consumed as unpaid vacation.