Poland has introduced a mandatory quarantine for unvaccinated people from countries outside the Schengen area, including Romania!

By Sorin Last updated June 25 2021

On a temporary basis, Poland has decided to apply restrictive measures valid from 24 June 2021, with the following implications for Romanian citizens traveling to Poland:

People traveling to Poland by land across the EU's internal border (ie from / through the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Germany) are not quarantined if they have a negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection ( RT-PCR or antigen), performed before crossing the Polish border (the test result, presented in Polish or English must be within 48 hours of receiving the test result).

Land travelers to Poland may be exempted from quarantine if they have a negative PCR or antigen test.

Persons who do not have a negative test carried out 48 hours before crossing the Polish border are subject to the quarantine obligation at a declared location on arrival for a period of 10 days, with the costs incurred by the persons concerned. Upon entering Poland, travelers must provide the border authorities with the address at which they will carry out the mandatory quarantine, as well as a contact telephone number, and travel immediately to the declared accommodation.

The 10-day quarantine period will be calculated from the day following entry into Poland. Persons who have been placed in quarantine may be tested for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection (RT-PCR or antigen) in Poland within 48 hours of entering Poland, and if the test result is negative will be exempted from the quarantine obligation.

Quarantine for those traveling in Romania, except for vaccinated

People moving to Poland crossing the EU's external border (ie from / through Ukraine, the Russian Federation or Belarus) are forced into quarantine since the presentation of a negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection does not exempt them from this obligation.

Also, persons traveling to Poland, by air, from countries outside the Schengen area, including Romania, are required to be quarantined (having a negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection in the State of origin prior to embarkation, does not exempt the persons concerned from this obligation).

People traveling to Poland, by air, from Schengen countries are obliged to have a negative result of a test for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection (RT-PCR type or antigen), performed before boarding (the test result, presented in Polish or English, must be within 48 hours, calculated from the time of receipt of the test result); based on the negative test result, they are exempted from the quarantine obligation in Poland.

Transit through Poland

Persons arriving in Poland by plane from countries outside the Schengen area, including Romania, and I'm just in transit (have a plane ticket confirming departure from Poland), may remain in the country, but not more than 24 hours, from the moment of arrival on the territory of Poland. These people are also exempt from quarantine.

IMPORTANT: People who have been placed in quarantine can perform a test for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection (RT-PCR or antigen type) in Poland, within 48 hours of entering Poland, and if the test result is negative they will be exempted from the quarantine obligation. Persons arriving from India, South Africa and Brazil may not be released from quarantine on the basis of a negative result of a SARS-CoV-2 test (RT-PCR or antigen) until 7 days after entry into Poland. .

Exception from quarantine

There are exempt the following categories of persons traveling to Poland from the obligation to enter quarantine as well as from presenting a negative test result for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, regardless of whether the country of origin is in the Schengen area or not:

people who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 with an EU-authorized vaccine (by administering both doses, full vaccination being considered 14 days after the end of the vaccination process);
children under the age of 12 traveling in the care of adults who are vaccinated against COVID19;
persons holding a document certifying that they have been quarantined, isolated at home or hospitalized following confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 virus infection in the last six months prior to the date of crossing the border of the Republic of Poland;
pupils and students taking final exams in Poland;
certain professional groups (professional drivers, sailors, air personnel, railway personnel, military, diplomatic corps;
people who travel in certain professional activities).

During quarantine:

the persons concerned may not leave the quarantine location;
walking pets, going to the store or to the doctor are prohibited;
In case of specific symptoms of COVID-19 (malaise, fever, cough, difficulty breathing), a medical unit (clinic) should be contacted and a telephone consultation with a general practitioner should be established.

Important! The police check that the quarantined persons comply with this measure! Failure to comply with the quarantine is punishable by a fine of up to 30.000. PLN, the decision on the amount being taken on a case-by-case basis.