As of October 24, 2021, all of Croatia is considered a coronavirus high-risk area from the perspective of Germany, the German Robert Koch Institute announced on its homepage. The reason is likely to be found in the persistently high incidence value of 401.7 new infections within seven days per 100,000 inhabitants. The trend was expected, because with the end of summer most activities take place indoors again, which increases the risk of infection. A low vaccination rate in Croatia compared to other European countries, as well as equally high infection rates in neighboring countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia, which have already been classified as high-risk areas, also contributed to a renewed increase in the prevalence of coronavirus in Croatia.
On entry Germany new regulations
As a result, the entry requirements for returning to Germany with a prior stay in Croatia are changing again, according to the RKI: “Travelers after prior stay in a risk area are required to complete the digital entry application at www.einreiseanmeldung.de and carry the confirmation received with them upon entry. New risk areas will appear in the digital entry notification at 0:00 each day on the effective date. The confirmation is checked by the carrier and, if necessary, additionally by the Federal Police as part of border police duties.”
2-G or quarantine
Furthermore, persons who have stayed in a risk area must in principle go home – or to other accommodation at the destination – immediately after arrival and seclude themselves for ten days (domestic quarantine).
Termination of quarantine
It further states, “Domestic quarantine may be terminated early if proof of recovery, proof of vaccination, or negative test evidence is submitted through the Digital Entry Application upload portal. The individual link on the registration confirmation (PDF document) should be used to upload the proofs. The quarantine can be terminated in each case from the time of submission. After previous stay in high-risk areas, testing can be done at the earliest five days after entry (“free testing” possible from day five after entry). Vaccinated and recovered persons can end quarantine from the time the proof of vaccination or recovery is transmitted via the entry protal. If the transmission occurs prior to entry (strongly recommended), quarantine does not have to begin.”
Those who are not vaccinated or convalescent must enter quarantine
In plain language, this means for all Germans according to the Corona Entry Regulation: Croatia home returnees who immediately upload the proof confirming that you are either vaccinated or recovered when filling out the digital entry application can enter Germany without further action on their own. Those who are neither vaccinated nor recovered must go into quarantine, according to the RKI, and cannot be cleared until the fifth day after entry.
High-risk area Croatia
Regarding the classification as a high-risk area, the Robert Koch Institute states, “High-risk areas can be areas with particularly high case numbers, e.g., when comparing the level of the multiple of the mean 7-day incidence per 100,000 inhabitants in the Federal Republic of Germany. An indication is regularly a 7-day incidence of significantly more than 100.
It may also be a case of areas in which there are indications of a dangerous incidence of infection on the basis of quantitative or qualitative criteria (for example, because of the speed of spread there, a high hospitalization rate, a low test rate with a simultaneously high positivity rate, or because of insufficiently available or reliable epidemiological data).
It is also possible that the area is one in which a variant of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has been found to be present that is associated with characteristics of increased risk to health – such as increased transmissibility or morbidity – but at the same time can be assumed to be sufficiently protective with full vaccination or recovery.”
All of Croatia: 7-day incidence at 401.9, Istria at 115.8
While Croatia (as of Oct. 23, 2021) has a 7-day incidence of 401.9 and Slovenia reports an incidence value of 517.1, Italian vacationers can enjoy an extremely low value of only 34.8. In Istria, however, the incidence was only 115.8, just above the level of Germany.
Austria: Croatia with low epidemiological risk
Incidentally, Austria classifies Croatia as low risk according to the COVID-19 Entry Regulation still classifies Croatia as a state “with low epidemiological risk,” meaning that entry can be granted with the 3-G proof.