With memories of airport shutdowns still fresh, the Bundestag on 7 November 2025 adopted legislation that brings the 2024 WHO reform of the International Health Regulations (IHR) into German law. The new rules introduce the concept of a “pandemic emergency” that empowers the WHO to issue time-limited recommendations more quickly and obliges member states to share outbreak data within hours.
For travellers and globally mobile staff the overhaul matters because it sets uniform triggers for border health measures—quarantine, testing or vaccination proof—across Schengen. During COVID-19, Germany applied a patchwork of ordinances that changed almost weekly; the Health Ministry says the updated IHR will allow “plug-and-play” implementation via a single federal regulation.
![German Parliament Ratifies Revised International Health Regulations, Paving Way for Faster Cross-Border Pandemic Response]()
Companies must still monitor requirements, but compliance officers expect fewer surprise rules. Lufthansa’s head of government affairs told reporters that predictable criteria could save the airline up to €40 million a year in schedule disruption costs. Ports of entry will need investment: the law mandates expanded lab-testing and risk-communication capacity at airports such as Frankfurt and Munich by 2028.
Some MPs worried about sovereignty, yet the ministry stressed that Germany retains the right to impose stricter measures if needed. The bill now heads to the Bundesrat; because it concerns treaty obligations, the upper house’s consent is considered procedural. Employers are advised to update travel-risk policies once the implementing ordinance is published, likely in Q1 2026.
For travellers and globally mobile staff the overhaul matters because it sets uniform triggers for border health measures—quarantine, testing or vaccination proof—across Schengen. During COVID-19, Germany applied a patchwork of ordinances that changed almost weekly; the Health Ministry says the updated IHR will allow “plug-and-play” implementation via a single federal regulation.
Companies must still monitor requirements, but compliance officers expect fewer surprise rules. Lufthansa’s head of government affairs told reporters that predictable criteria could save the airline up to €40 million a year in schedule disruption costs. Ports of entry will need investment: the law mandates expanded lab-testing and risk-communication capacity at airports such as Frankfurt and Munich by 2028.
Some MPs worried about sovereignty, yet the ministry stressed that Germany retains the right to impose stricter measures if needed. The bill now heads to the Bundesrat; because it concerns treaty obligations, the upper house’s consent is considered procedural. Employers are advised to update travel-risk policies once the implementing ordinance is published, likely in Q1 2026.
