Due to a deteriorating epidemiological situation the new Ordinance on the temporary restriction of movement of people and on the prohibition of gathering of people to prevent the spread of COVID-19 reintroduces restrictions on movement between statistical regions and at night, and prohibition of gatherings of people. The Ordinance shall enter into force on 1 April and will apply up to and including 11 April 2021.

Restriction of movement to regions

Movement between statistical regions will be temporarily restricted. Exceptions have been defined for cases in which movement between regions is permitted. Subject to the NIJZ recommendations, movement between regions is permitted in the following cases:

• travel to and from work and the performance of work duties;
• the performance of business, agricultural and forestry activities;
• the elimination of immediate risks to health, life and property;
• the provision of care and assistance to persons in need of support, care of family members, or parental care or contact with one’s children;
• access to pharmacies, health and sanitary services, and health resort treatment;
• access to foreign diplomatic missions and consular posts;
• access to emergency services;
• access to the performance of tasks related to the operation of judicial, administrative and law enforcement authorities;
• access to services for persons with special needs;
• access to shops or services in another statistical region that are closer to the person's residence than the same shops and services in the region of residence or if there are no such shops or services in the region of residence.

These exceptions also apply to immediate family members and to members of the same household when travelling together.

Persons crossing a regional boundary must carry with them proof of the exception they are subject to and a signed and a legible statement . No statement is required for exceptions under points 1 and 3. Upon request, the individual must present the above-mentioned proof and statement to an official of the authority responsible for supervising the implementation of this decree, a police officer or a municipal warden.

Subject to the NIJZ recommendations, movement between regions will also be permitted to individuals who submit:

• a negative PCR test result not older than 48 hours,
• proof of COVID-19 vaccination demonstrating that at least 7 days have elapsed since the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, at least 14 days since the second dose of the Moderna vaccine, or 21 days since the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine,
• a certificate of a positive PCR test result that is older than 21 days old but not older than six months, or
• a medical certificate confirming that the person has recovered from COVID-19 and that more than six months have elapsed since the onset of symptoms.

Proof of testing is valid if issued in an EU Member State or a Schengen Area country. In these cases, people do not require a statement or other proof.

Travel between permanent and temporary residences is not permitted

A person is deemed to be a resident of a statistical region if they have a registered permanent or temporary residence in that region. If a person’s permanent and temporary residence are in different regions, they can decide to stay at either their permanent or temporary residence and are not permitted to move between the two.

Movement between regions permitted on Easter Sunday

From 5:00 to 22:00 on Sunday, 4 April 2021, people will be permitted to move between statistical regions without restrictions in order to visit private properties for gatherings of a maximum of six people from up to two households. The six-person restriction does not include people under the age of 15.

All other restrictions and prohibitions laid down in this Ordinance will continue to apply without changes.

Movement at night

Movement at night is restricted between 22:00 and 5:00 throughout the country.

Ban on gatherings

Gatherings are temporarily prohibited. Subject to the restrictions and prohibitions laid down in this Ordinance, gatherings are permitted only for groups of persons who are immediate family members or share the same household.

All events, gatherings, celebrations, weddings and religious ceremonies are temporarily prohibited. The Minister for Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities may permit marriages and civil unions.

Subject to the NIJZ recommendations, an individual, immediate family members or members of the same household may participate in sports and recreational activities that are performed outdoors or in open public spaces within their region of residence and where a safe distance to others can be maintained (e.g. jogging, cycling, golf, yoga, tennis, badminton and boules).

More information

Measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 infections