Across the border into the Czech Republic in the time of Corona

Our locations in Prague, Olomouc, and Baden-Baden are always virtually connected and so we were able to face potential shut-downs calmly.  

But when the Czech government closed the borders in a rather martial way, personal contact was cut off. Soon we realized that personal contact is irreplaceable, especially in these uncertain times.. That's why I, as the managing director, took the first opportunity that arose to travel from Germany to Prague again.  

German citizens are now allowed to travel to the Czech Republic on  business for up to 72 hours and to move around there quite freely. Here is my experience report and a  tip on how to get across the border.  To enter the Czech Republic, you need:

1. A doctor's certificate referencing  a SARS-Cov-2 test with negative results. A smear of  oral mucosa at the doctor is done in one minute. In the laboratory which processed my test,  it was also possible to apply for a higher urgency "Express". The laboratories also work over the weekend. This is important, because the test must not be older than four days when crossing the border. It is not the time that counts, but the date. This means that if you have done a test on Monday morning, you should cross the border before midnight on Thursday. The doctor must fill it in and stamp it on a form that the border guard can understand. That costs, but not the world.
2. A certificate stating that you are going on a business trip. There is also a form for this on the Internet. The simple version is a business trip up to 72 hours-  quite unproblematic. For trips over ver 72 hours you have to give more valid reasons, but it is also possible. Everything of course must have a  stamp, because that is always the most important thing for a border official.
3. An invitation letter from the company- In my case I presented an excerpt from the commercial register, which proved that I am the managing director of a Czech company and since my birthday is fortunately also shown there, it was sufficient for the border guard.

Crossing the border is only possible on the main routes, so it is no problem to use  the motorway from Dresden or Nürnberg.

My experience when crossing the border was that - at least at night - there were no queues. The border guards were extremely polite, which is not necessarily a matter of course in darkness, cold, and rain with the obligatory mouthguard, and on the German side I unfortunately could not always observe this tone towards foreigners, to put it euphemistically.  

Many hotels in Prague are closed, so I booked in advance. In our company life goes on normally, but outside there are many restrictions. First of all, the obligation to wear a "ridiculous rag" which is followed by most people, whether in the park or on the tram. Those who drink their coffee or eat their Rohlik on the way have a good excuse and these are not rare in Prague, especially since the restaurants are still closed and delivery services have to be ordered in the morning because lunch is sacred to the Czechs.  

Apart from that, the atmosphere  is striking: no tourists - imagine the Charles Bridge without people in the middle of the day! A good  time for unusual photos...

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