Coronavirus restrictions are gradually being lifted across Germany, but responsibility has now been largely handed to the individual federal states - meaning that the country’s once-uniform approach to tackling COVID-19 is beginning to splinter, and everyone is starting to get a little confused by all the different rules. We break down what is allowed when and where. 

Restrictions gradually lifted in Germany

This week has brought with it a whole host of new freedoms, as bit by bit, new openings were announced - shops, schools, restaurants, bars, playgrounds, you name it. 

The proviso is, these institutions can only remain open as long as the infection rate in any given city or district remains below 50 per 100.000 inhabitants per week. If this value is exceeded, restrictions will need to be re-introduced. 

Apart from a small easing that allows gatherings in public of members from two households, all contact restrictions and mask requirements will remain in place until at least June 5 - unless a different rule applies in your state. Everyone must continue to observe the minimum distance of 1,5 metres. 

Coronavirus regulations per federal state

The rules above apply nationwide, but states have also been given the power to determine their own path out of coronavirus lockdown. This invariably means that there’s quite a lot of variation from place to place. Here’s a breakdown of the different rules. 

Baden-Württemberg

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking in public permitted, but only with members of your household or another household
• Schools: Opening step by step; all students will return to school after the Pentecost public holiday
• Universities: Closed until May 24; libraries open
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted in open air; gyms remain closed
• Playgrounds: Open
• Gastronomy: Restaurants will open, subject to hygiene requirements, from May 18
• Leisure: Leisure facilities with outdoor areas to reopen from May 18
• Tourism: Campsites and holiday homes to reopen on May 18
• Services: Hairdressers, nail salons and cosmetic studios open

Bavaria

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking in public prohibited; gatherings of up to 50 participants, lasting up to 60 minutes, are permitted outside
• Schools: Opening step by step, starting with "pre-graduation classes" on May 11. Classroom lessons to resume from May 18
• Universities: Closed 
• Sport: Up to five people allowed to exercise in groups in public or open-air sports facilities from May 11
• Playgrounds: Open
• Gastronomy: Gastronomy businesses with outdoor areas may open from May 18 (including beer gardens); indoor dining permitted from May 25
• Leisure: Animal parks, botanical gardens, libraries, museums, galleries and monuments may reopen subject to conditions
• Tourism: Hotels, campsites and holiday apartments could reopen from May 30 - but this has not been confirmed; castles, boat trips and amusement parks could also be allowed to reopen then
• Services: Hairdressers, nail salons and cosmetic studios open

Berlin

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking in public prohibited; gatherings of up to 50 participants (up to 100 from May 25) are permitted; exceptions can be made for weddings, baptisms, funerals etc.
• Schools: Open
• Universities: No face-to-face teaching, but research on campus possible subject to conditions
• Sport: Sports clubs can exercise in groups of up to eight people from May 15
• Playgrounds: Open
• Gastronomy: Restaurants open from 6 am to 10 pm, subject to conditions
• Leisure: Outdoor pools to reopen from May 25; museums, memorials and other cultural / educational institutions open
• Tourism: Hotels can offer overnight stays to tourists from May 25; outdoor city tours and guided tours permitted from May 25
• Services: Hairdressers, nail salons and cosmetic studios open

Brandenburg

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking in public prohibited, as are large gatherings; exceptions can be made for funerals (maximum 50 participants)
• Schools: Open for grades 5, 6, 9, 10 - 12
• Universities: Closed; libraries open
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted in all public and private outdoor sports facilities
• Playgrounds: Open
• Gastronomy: Restaurants, cafes and pubs to reopen from May 15, from 6 am to 10 pm, subject to conditions; indoor and outdoor dining permitted
• Leisure: Outdoor pools to reopen from May 25; museums, memorials and other cultural / educational institutions open
• Tourism: All holiday rentals are permitted from May 25, including hotels, campsites, bus trips and city tours
• Services: Hairdressers, nail salons and cosmetic studios open

Bremen

• Meetings: Barbecues, picnics and private celebrations prohibited
• Schools: Classroom lessons to resume with fewer students
• Universities: Only open for exams
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted outdoors (including tennis)
• Playgrounds: Open
• Gastronomy: Restrictions are expected to loosen from mid-May
• Leisure: Cultural / educational institutions beginning to reopen
• Tourism: Loosening expected from mid-May
• Services: Hairdressers, nail salons, cosmetic studios open, subject to hygiene requirements

Hamburg

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking in public prohibited; larger gatherings possible with prior approval
• Schools: Open with reduced number of students (maximum 15 per learning group and only 25% of the student body at school at the same time)
• Universities: Open only for exams and practical events
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted outdoors (including tennis)
• Playgrounds: Open from 7 am to 8 pm
• Gastronomy: Restaurants to reopen from May 13, subject to hygiene requirements
• Leisure: Museums, exhibition halls and memorials open
• Tourism: Overnight stays in hotels, holiday apartments or campsites only permitted for non-tourist purposes
• Services: Hairdressers open

Hesse

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking in public prohibited; burials allowed with close family and relatives
• Schools: Open with reduced class sizes (maximum 15 students)
• Universities: Open only for exams and practical events
• Sport: Gyms may reopen from May 15, subject to certain conditions
• Playgrounds: Open 
• Gastronomy: Restaurants to reopen from May 15, subject to hygiene requirements
• Leisure: Museums, zoos, opera houses, castles and theatres are open; bowling alleys and outdoor activities like boat trips also permitted; amusement parks to reopen from May 15
• Tourism: City tours allowed; hotels, campsites and holiday rentals to reopen from May 15, subject to conditions
• Services: Hairdressers and other close-contact professions like beauty salons are open

Lower Saxony

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking in public prohibited; demonstrations allowed subject to prior approval; weddings and funerals allowed with a maximum of 20 people
• Schools: Open for exam years and 4th elementary grade
• Universities: Digital lectures only
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted outdoors (including tennis)
• Playgrounds: Open 
• Gastronomy: Restaurants, pubs, snack bars, cafes and canteens are open, subject to hygiene requirements; reservations are strongly recommended
• Leisure: Zoos, animal parks, open air museums, botanical gardens, museums, exhibitions, galleries and memorials are open
• Tourism: Holiday homes, campsites and mobile homes can be rented to tourists again - but must observe a seven-day "rest period" between guests
• Services: Hairdressers, beauty studios, nail salons and massage parlours open

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking in public prohibited; larger gatherings (maximum 50 participants) possible with prior approval; burials allowed with maximum 25 people
• Schools: Open for students with exams this year and next year as well as 4th elementary grade (smaller class sizes)
• Universities: Open only for exams and practical events
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted outdoors in public or private sports facilities
• Playgrounds: Open 
• Gastronomy: Restaurants open, subject to hygiene requirements
• Leisure: Galleries, exhibitions, museums and memorials are open
• Tourism: From May 25, tourists can once again be accepted by hotels, guest houses, inns, campsites and holiday homes
• Services: Hairdressers, beauty studios, nail salons, massage parlours etc open

North Rhine-Westphalia

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking in public prohibited; demonstrations allowed subject to permission; small-scale celebrations allowed in private
• Schools: Gradually opening to high-school students, then grades 1 - 4 of primary schools
• Universities: Teaching and examinations permitted, subject to conditions
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted outdoors; gyms and sports clubs allowed to reopen, subject to hygiene requirements
• Playgrounds: Open 
• Gastronomy: Restaurants open; people from two households allowed to sit at the same table
• Leisure: Cinemas, theatres, operas and concert halls to reopen on May 30 (maximum 100 spectators); amusement parks open; swimming pools and thermal baths to open on May 30; outdoor pools to open on May 20
• Tourism: Overnight stays in holiday homes and on campsites permitted; hotels to reopen from May 18
• Services: Hairdressers, beauty studios, nail salons, massage parlours etc open

Rhineland-Palatinate

• Meetings: Barbecuing, picnicking and private celebrations permitted; demonstrations allowed subject to permission
• Schools: Gradually opening 
• Universities: Open for small teaching groups and exams
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted outdoors (including tennis)
• Playgrounds: Open 
• Gastronomy: Gastronomy businesses may reopen from May 13, between 6 am and 10 pm; reservations are mandatory
• Leisure: Day boat excursions allowed from May 13; museums, exhibitions and galleries are open
• Tourism: Campsites may reopen from May 13, but only for motorhome parking spaces; hotels, holiday homes and youth hostels to open to tourists from May 18
• Services: Hairdressers open; cosmetic and nail salons, massage parlours and tattoo studios to open from May 13

Saarland

• Meetings: Barbecuing not expressly forbidden; members from two households can meet from May 18; larger gatherings allowed subject to prior approval
• Schools: Grade 11 of high schools and grade 12 of community schools to return from May 11
• Universities: Permitted to reopen
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted; groups of up to five people allowed indoors
• Playgrounds: Open 
• Gastronomy: Restaurants, bars, cafes and bistros allowed to reopen from Mau 18 between 6 am and 10 pm
• Leisure: Memorials, libraries, museums, exhibitions, galleries, animal parks, botanical and zoological gardens may open
• Tourism: Hotels, holiday apartments and campsites should reopen from May 18
• Services: Hairdressers open

Saxony

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking in public prohibited; outdoor gatherings of up to 50 people permitted, provided distance and hygiene requirements are observed and the duration is less than 60 minutes
• Schools: Lessons to (partially) resume on May 18, focusing on core subjects 
• Universities: Teaching remains digital, but certain face-to-face events are permitted
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted, even indoors
• Playgrounds: Open 
• Gastronomy: Restaurants open from May 15
• Leisure: Memorials, libraries, archives, museums, exhibitions, galleries and outdoor areas of zoos and botanical gardens may reopen; theatres and operas to reopen from May 18
• Tourism: Holiday homes open to tourists; hotels to open from May 15
• Services: Hairdressers, beauty studios, nail salons, massage parlours etc open

Saxony-Anhalt

• Meetings: Barbecues prohibited, but picnics with up to five people permitted; meetings of up to 50 people allowed without approval, and over 50 people permitted with approval
• Schools: Gradually opening
• Universities: Digital teaching for summer semester; libraries open
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted in groups of up to five people
• Playgrounds: Open 
• Gastronomy: Restaurants to open from May 22
• Leisure: Zoological and botanical gardens, animal parks and other open-air facilities, drive-in cinemas, museums, galleries and exhibitions all open
• Tourism: Holiday homes for locals and campsites for motor homes will reopen from May 15
• Services: Hairdressers, beauty studios, nail salons and massage parlours open

Schleswig-Holstein

• Meetings: Barbecuing in public prohibited; family gatherings allowed with no more than 10 people
• Schools: Reopening, but with irregular operation
• Universities: Closed; libraries open
• Sport: Low-contact sports permitted indoors from May 18
• Playgrounds: Open 
• Gastronomy: Gastronomy businesses allowed to reopen, with maximum 50 guests who have reserved in advance with their name and address; restaurants must close at 10 pm 
• Leisure: Theatre rehearsals permitted; cinemas can reopen from May 18; open-air museums, memorials, zoos, wildlife parks and botanical gardens may reopen, but not their catering facilities
• Tourism: State is open to tourists again; apartments, hotels and campsites allowed to reopen with full capacity
• Services: Hairdressers open, but not allowed to do shaves; chiropodists and tattoo studios open 

Thuringia

• Meetings: Barbecuing and picnicking permitted as long as participants are from one household with maximum one person from a second household; meetings of up to 30 participants permitted inside, and up to 50 participants outside 
• Schools: Open to all graduating classes; classroom instruction for all grades at special needs schools; 4th grade of primary school to return on May 11
• Universities: Open for exams and necessary face-to-face events
• Sport: Non-contact sports permitted outdoors; groups prohibited
• Playgrounds: Open 
• Gastronomy: Gastronomy businesses to reopen from May 15, subject to requirements
• Leisure: Zoological and botanical gardens, animal parks and other open-air facilities, drive-in cinemas, museums, galleries and exhibitions open
• Tourism: Campsites, holiday homes and hotels are open
• Services: Hairdressers, beauty studios and nail salons open

Further information

While we will endeavour to keep this page up-to-date, it’s a good idea to check with authorities in your federal state for the latest updates.