A travel ban is in place for countries with widespread occurrence of SARS-CoV-2 virus variants of concern (referred to as areas of variant of concern). Transport companies, e.g. air carriers and railway companies, may not transport any persons from these countries to Germany. There are only a few, strictly defined exceptions to this travel ban, namely for:

• German citizens and persons who are resident in Germany with a current right to reside in the country, as well as their spouses, partners (if entering Germany from outside the EU or the United Kingdom / Northern Ireland: only partners living in the same household) and minor children
• persons catching a connecting flight who do not leave the transit zone of a passenger airport and
• few other special cases.

Persons qualifying for these exceptions must nevertheless complete a digital entry registration before entering the country, undergo mandatory testing or provide proof of immunity, and comply with the applicable quarantine regulations for travellers entering the country. 

Travellers who have visited a area of variant of concern in the last ten days must register at www.einreiseanmeldung.de before arriving in Germany and carry proof of registration with them upon entry.

Persons entering Germany following a stay in an area of variant of concern in the last ten days must

• proceed directly to their destination following entry and
• self-isolate there for 14 days (quarantine).

During this quarantine, travellers may not leave the house or flat or receive guests.

You can self-isolate at home. You are required to go there immediately and on the direct way after arriving in Germany. Afterwards you are not allowed to leave your home. The best way for shopping might be to ask your flat-mates. There are also some supermarkets that offer a delivery service, but consider you might have to order a few days in advance.

If you don’t find a solution for your shopping, you can ask in the exchange community (Incomers WhatsApp-Group), there will be always someone to help you out. If you don’t know how, just email info∂esn-karlsruhe.de, they will advise you.

Persons who have stayed in an area of variant of concern in the ten days prior to their entry to Germany, are obliged to carry proof of their COVID‑19 status when entering Germany. They must present a negative PCR test result. a rapid antigen test or proof of recovery or vaccination is not sufficient. As a rule, COVID‑19 test results  must not be more than 48 hours old at the time of the (planned) entry. However, if entering Germany with a carrier (e.g. an airline), PCR tests may be taken a maximum of 48 hours before the (scheduled) start of the journey (e.g. departure time).

The regulations are changing rapidly. To get up-to-date information, please visit the official corona site of Karlsruhe

Vaccinations are also available for exchange students free of charge. 

For those who want to vaccinate quickly and spontaneously, the portal impfen-ka.de offers vaccination appointments at short notice. There you select a free date, enter your date of birth and your email address and click on ‚Reserve‘ and your appointment is booked.

You can find a list of doctor’s practices, where you can receive your vaccination on the website of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians. 

You can always find the latest information regarding the situation at KIT on the FAQs page.

If you are having symptoms that could hint towards an infection with Covid-19 or had contact with someone who was tested positive, you should contact a doctor immediately. Make sure to call them by phone first and not just walk in their office. You will most likely get an appointment to do a test and some instructions to follow. The test will be free of charge in this case. Please read the section below for information on how to find a doctor who can do the test.

If the test is positive (and also before you get the result) you will need to isolate yourself. See “Quarantine regulations” above for some help on this topic.

The first step to get tested in Karlsruhe is to call a doctor’s offices. Not all of them, but many, are equipped for testing. A full overview of those can be found here.

One example near the campus is Dr.Göser (0721 697611). They speak English and are prepared to test international students. In any case, always call the doctor of your choice first, don’t just walk in the door.

The central pharmacy (Zentralapotheke) at Kaiserstraße 112 in Karlsruhe also offers PCR tests. You can go there during opening hours, register inside the pharmacy, get tested and will receive the result within 24 hours.

Alternatively, you can also get tested on the test station near the Karlsruhe central train station “Hauptbahnhof”. They offer antigen quick tests as well as PCR Tests. Please visit their website for an overview of their prices and available appointments. 

116117  - This number is most important when you need medical treatment, while clinics are closed for example at night or on weekends. They might refer you to an opened sanitary institution or, if necessary, send over a doctor.

112 – The general Emergency Hotline to get an ambulance. Only for medical emergencies of any kind at any time.