State of emergency in the Czech Republic. Czech Republic Travel limitations due to Coronavirus
The situation regarding the new type of corona virus and corresponding emergency measures in the Czech Republic is constantly evolving. Where can you find relevant information for your company? What you need to know about Czech travel ban and travel restrictions and where to apply for exceptions?
On March 12, 2020, a 30-day state of emergency for the Czech Republic was announced in the form of a Czech government decision. The reason for this are health threats in connection with the detection of the Coronavirus / SARS CoV-2. The emergency declaration was made on March 12, 2020 the decision of the government of the Czech Republic to issue a state of emergency for the territory of the Czech Republic due to health threats in connection with the detection of Coronavirus / SARS CoV-2 instead of 2:00 p.m. on March 12, 2020 for 30 days. The rights of the Czech government for the duration of the emergency can be found in the Czech Act No. 240/2000 Coll. on crisis management and changes to certain laws.
You can find more information about the various Emergency Measures in Czech Republic in our article Emergency Measures and State of Emergency in Czech Republic.
Government decision to adopt a crisis measure. What you need to know about the travel ban
The Czech government has banned the movement of people across the border of the Czech Republic under the declared state of emergency. Czechs are allowed to return to the country and foreigners are allowed to leave the Czech Republic.
The ban on road traffic concerns regular passenger traffic and occasional services for vehicles with more than 9 people. For rail and water transport it applies to all international trains or ships in passenger transport. The government in the Czech Republic also banned the use of airports other than Václav Havel Prague International Airport (Prague / Ruzyně, LKPR) in the context of commercial air transport with passengers on board crossing the border of the Czech Republic.
According to the government decision of March 12, 2020, with which the government has declared the occurrence of coronavirus (as SARS CoV-, according to Articles 5 and 6 of Constitutional Law No. 110/1998 Coll. 2)) in the territory of the Czech Republic a) to d) and Section 6 of Act No. 240/2000 Coll. On crisis management and changes to certain laws (Crisis Act) as amended to resolve a crisis situation, crisis measures decided in accordance with the provisions In accordance with Section 6 Paragraph b) of the Crisis Act, the Czech government decided the following about passenger traffic across the border of the Czech Republic:
I. prohibits the following passenger traffic across the border of the Czech Republic
1. All carriers in international passenger traffic who use vehicles with a capacity of more than 9 people to transport people across the borders of the Czech Republic from 00:00 on March 14, 2020.
2. All carriers in international rail passenger transport with effect from March 14, 2020, from 00:00, the transport of passengers across the borders of the Czech Republic.
3. All carriers in international inland waterway transport with effect from 14 March from 00:00 h the transport of passengers across the borders of the Czech Republic.
4. To use all airlines from 00:00 on 14 March 2020 for commercial air traffic with passengers crossing the border of the Czech Republic at airports other than Václav Havel Prague Airport (Prague / Ruzyně);
II. allowes the following passenger traffic across the border of the Czech Republic
1. In the case of international passenger transport, which is occasionally provided for Czech citizens and foreigners by vehicles with a capacity of more than 9 people, who are temporarily staying over 90 days or live permanently in the Czech Republic and return to the Czech Republic, the Czech Republic Republic to return.
2. Leaving the Czech Republic of foreigners in international road traffic by occasional transport of vehicles with a capacity of more than 9 people.
3. International passenger carriers based in the Czech Republic and carriers based outside the Czech Republic to deliver empty buses to / outside the Czech Republic without passengers.
4. Carriers in international rail passenger transport based in the Czech Republic and carriers based outside the Czech Republic to deliver empty trains to / outside the Czech Republic without passengers.
5. Carrier in international inland waterway transport in the Czech Republic and carrier outside the Czech Republic to transport empty ships without passengers to / outside the Czech Republic.
III. provides with regard to the following passenger traffic across the border of the Czech Republic
1. That the Minister of Transport may grant an exemption from this emergency measure.
Emergency entry ban for all foreigners from risk areas with exceptions
The Government of the Czech Republic has decided with effect from March 14, 2020:
- a ban on entry for all foreigners from risk areas, with the exception of foreigners who are temporarily staying longer than 90 days or who live permanently in the Czech Republic. This does not apply if the entry of these foreigners is in the interest of the Czech Republic. As of March 12, 2020 the risk areas as follows: China, Iran, Italy, South Korea, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Great Britain, Belgium, Austria;
- Cessation of the receipt of visa applications and temporary and permanent stays in embassies of the Czech Republic. This does not apply to people whose stay is in the interest of the Czech Republic.
- Suspension of the procedure for pending short-stay visa applications; This does not apply to people whose stay is in the interest of the Czech Republic;
- Suspension of all residence permit applications submitted to embassies for 90 days;
- Ban on entry into risk areas for Czech citizens and foreigners with permanent or temporary residence over 90 days in the Czech Republic; this shall not apply if an exemption is granted from this measure.
Exceptions to travel ban to the terrritory of Czech Republic
On the basis of Government Decision No. 198 of the Czech Republic of March 12, 2020, the Minister of the Interior determined the following exceptions:
The entry ban to the territory of the Czech Republic mentioned in point I does not apply to:
- international cargo: truck drivers, bus drivers, transport aircraft crews, drivers, train crews and chauffeur masters, ship captains and crew members, communications manager crews,
- Members of the Mission under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, members of the consular post under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and officials of international organizations, including their family members,
- Members of rescue services such as fire brigade, rescue service and mountain rescue service,
- Persons who have been proven to regularly cross internal borders, in particular cross-border commuters who work within 50 km of the national border;
- Citizens of Germany and Austria who regularly cross internal borders, in particular cross-border commuters who work within 50 km from the national border. Model certificate for cross-border commuters,
- Experts in the fight against epidemics, humanitarian and medical aid
- Members of the European Parliament.
Movement of the cross-border workers (penders)
Starting from March 18, 2020 in accordance with the Government Resolution No. 247 the movement of the cross-border workers (penders) within the territory of the Czech Republic is restricted only to the necessary needs and the following exceptions (see also our article Emergency Measures and State of Emergency in Czech Republic) under the following points do not apply to such persons:
(b) i.e. the necessary trips to family or close relatives;
(d) i.e. the journeys necessary to meet the needs and services referred to in point (c)) for another person (eg. volunteering, neighborhood assistance);
(f) with regard to the second part of the sentence (travel to deal with urgent official matters, including detention) necessary escorts of relatives and relatives);
(h) i.e. stay in nature or park.
Starting from March 18, 2020 in accordance with the Government Resolution No. 247 the cross-border workers also do have to undergo a control of the signs of an infectious disease and, if signs of an infectious condition are found to provide the necessary assistance to healthcare professionals in performing biological sampling sample to detect the presence of COVID-19 when crossing the boarder of Czech Republic.
Due to the increased demand for goods in the Czech Republic, and Coronavirus spread in Europe related supply problems, the Czech government decided to temporarily repeal the ban on truck traffic on Sundays and public holidays. The drivers of the trafficking trucks are also exempted from the quarantine obligation (Resolution of the Czech government from March 13, 2020 No. 205 on adoption of the emergency measure, published in the Czech Collection of laws under No. 78/2020).
Entry and exit across the border of the Czech Republic from March 16 at 0:00 a.m.
On March 13, 2020, the Government of the Czech Republic banned by its Resolution from March 13, 2020 No. 20 on adoption of the emergency measure, published in the Czech Collection of laws under No. 76/2020 all people from entering the Czech Republic, with the exception of foreigners with a temporary or permanent residence. The Czech government has also decided to prohibit Czech citizens and foreigners with permanent or temporary residence from leaving the Czech Republic. The exceptions to this measure are described above.
For more information, contact us at:
JUDr. Mojmír Ježek, Ph.D.
ECOVIS ježek, advokátní kancelář s.r.o.
Betlémské nám. 6
110 00 Praha 1
e-mail: mojmir.jezek@ecovislegal.cz
www.ecovislegal.cz
About ECOVIS ježek advokátní kancelář s.r.o.
The Czech law office in Prague ECOVIS ježek practices mainly in the area of Czech commercial law, Czech real estate law, representation at Czech courts, administrative bodies and arbitration courts, as well as Czech finance and banking law, and provides full-fledged advice in all areas, making it a suitable alternative for clients of international law offices. The international dimension of the Czech legal services provided is ensured through past experience and through co-operation with leading legal offices in most European countries, the US, and other jurisdictions. The Czech lawyers of the ECOVIS ježek team have many years of experience from leading international law offices and tax companies, in providing legal advice to multinational corporations, large Czech companies, but also to medium-sized companies and individual clients. For more information, go to www.ecovislegal.cz/en.
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