Central Europe to re-open borders for a mini-Schengen

Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic try to form a mini-Schengen to save Summer and boost Recovery. June 15 will be the re-Open Borders Day!

Everything depend on the virus spread in the days to come. Mini-Schengen will reopen borders without having to submit a negative virus test or go into quarantine.

Germany and Austria announced they would open their border to each other on June 15. According to the pandemic data and epidemiological criteria they will lift controls by June 15.

If they do that…, it would be nice to open the borders with Germany, Austria, Hungary and hopefully also Slovakia on June 15. Andrej Babis, Czech Prime Minister

Slovakia declared it would allow its citizens to travel to eight select countries as of May 21 without having to submit a negative virus test or go into quarantine.

We think we could create a mini-Schengen allowing people to travel without border checks, tests or subsequent quarantine in mid-June. Tomas Petricek, Czech Foreign Minister

EU Travel ban and Schengen border controls extend until June

The mini-Schengen Countries temporarily reintroduced border controls:

Germany

(16 May – 15 June 2020)
Coronavirus COVID-19; land and air borders with Austria, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Italy and Spain, sea border with Denmark;

Germany

(12 May – 11 November 2020)
Secondary movements, situation at the external borders; land border with Austria;

Austria

(8 May – 31 May 2020)
Coronavirus COVID-19; land borders with Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Slovakia and Czechia;

Austria

(12 May 2020 – 11 November 2020)
Secondary movements, risk related to terrorists and organized crime, situation at the external borders; land borders with Hungary and with Slovenia;

Hungary

(12 May – 11 November 2020)
Coronavirus COVID-19; all internal land and air borders;

Slovakia

(8 April – 27 May 2020)
Coronavirus COVID-19; all internal borders;

Czechia

(14 May – 13 June 2020)
Coronavirus COVID-19; land borders with Austria and Germany, air borders;

All five countries have recently eased restrictive measures taken to fight the virus and are members of the 26-nation Schengen open border zone.

15/06 – Save the Date for mini-Schengen

Tourism is vital to the Single Market and its four freedoms and a key contributor to the EU’s economic, social and cultural way of life.
Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life

EU Travel restriction is necessary

“The Commission’s assessment of the current situation points to a continued rise in the number of new cases and deaths across the EU, as well as to the progression of the pandemic outside of the EU, including in countries from where millions of people usually travel to the EU every year,” the Commission said. “In this context, prolonging the travel restriction is necessary to reduce the risk of the disease spreading further.”

Tourism in quarantine!

Is June 15 possible to be the re-Open Borders Day of Schengen Area?

Schengen Area

The free movement of persons is a fundamental right guaranteed by the EU to its citizens. It enables every EU citizen to travel, work and live in any EU country without special formalities. Schengen cooperation enhances this freedom by enabling citizens to cross internal borders without being subjected to border checks. The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens, as well as to many non-EU nationals, businessmen, tourists or other persons legally present on the EU territory.

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