International transport workers – complex information valid from May 11th, 2020

12. 5. 2020 janap 982 Views

Limitation of entry to the Czech Republic for all foreign nationals, excluding foreigners with permanent residence or temporary residence above 90 days, does not apply to people working in international transport, namely:

Lorry drivers (drivers’ assistants are not drivers and the exception cannot be applied to them),
Bus drivers (esp. repatriation buses),
Transport aircraft crews and crews of service flights,
Train drivers, train crews and carriage inspectors,
Ship captains and cargo vessel crews,
Road managers’ vehicle crews,
Drivers of a vehicle for up to 9 passengers, who are transporting one of the above mentioned categories of people to their place of work and back, and the empty journeys associated with those transportations. The driver must be employed in the same company as the people he/she is transporting.
External drivers of a vehicle for up to 9 passengers, but only in case of alternating ship captains and cargo vessel crews (the driver must carry a contract / agreement).
Accompanying vehicles of excessive cargos (must be proved with a power of attorney from the carrier or the organization responsible for transport)

Explanation:

This includes exceptions for people working in international transport.

The following cases cannot be considered as international transport:

if a person drives a car (or more people in a van) abroad/or foreigners to the Czech Republic/ and they are employed as drivers within one state – e.g. a person driving a car to Germany, where he does domestic transport/drives a bus etc. and then comes back to the Czech Republic for the weekend,

This does not meet the requirement of international transport. People in such case belong to pendler/cross-border worker regime, if they meet requirements for cross-border workers (with all valid restrictions applied to them).

Lorry drivers or other freight vehicle drivers – the decisive factor is classification of vehicles in the vehicle registration ID as category N – a vehicle for transport of cargo. All member states have the same categories of vehicles, therefore this concerns foreign vehicles as well. Information in the vehicle registration ID should either indicate that it is a “freight vehicle” or indicate the category.

The rule applies for the following categories:

N1 = maximum permissible weight does not exceed 3,5t – this can include standard cars, e.g. station wagons, which in past used to be distinguished by bars separating the trunk, now only by the classification in the vehicle’s registration ID; this category mostly includes vans
N2 = maximum permissible weight is more than 3500 kg, but does not exceed 12 000 kg
N3 = maximum permissible weight is more than 12 000 kg

Note: for distinguishing personal transport from freight transport – personal transport vehicles are in category M.

Drivers cannot transport other people (driver’s assistant, family members etc., unless they one of the exceptions applies to them – e.g. repatriation and family reunification).

Transport aircraft crews – this includes the crew and pilots, aircrafts with passengers and cargo planes, as well as crews of flights for technical purposes (maintenance and service), position flights (empty flights) etc.

Crews of aircrafts for aerial work – this includes very specific situations – especially aerial photography, aerial work in agriculture, construction etc.

Drivers transporting international transport workers – lorry drivers or e.g. cargo ship crew can be transported by another driver – but only in case of alternating ship captains and cargo ship crews the driver can be contractual/external (the driver must show a haulage agreement). Ship captains and cargo ship crews must have the Certificate Form for International Transport Workers. A driver transporting people other than ship captains and cargo ship crews must have the Certificate Form for International Transport Workers – i.e. a driver transporting people to work must be employed in the same company.

For the above mentioned professions, this includes:

those who are crossing the state border of the Czech Republic in a freight vehicle, boat or train,
those who are commuting to work in another state – e.g. sailors driving a car from Děčín to Hamburg, people driving a car to pick up a lorry – however, they still must use the means in order to work in international transport (see above – not a domestic van driver working in Germany).

For these cases it is NECESSARY to prove this fact – i.e. to have relevant documents proving their professional qualification or have the Certificate Form for International Transport Workers. This Certificate includes a section for drivers transporting e.g. sailors to their workplace and back.

Only authorised persons can enter the territory of the Czech Republic – i.e. Czech citizens, EU citizens, third country citizens with a visa or residence permit in the EU.

All international transport workers are obliged to immediately after the entry to inform about this fact via phone the regional public health authority respective to place of residence and undergo necessary quarantine measures IF:

the time of the expected stay at the territory of the Czech Republic is longer than 14 days or in those cases where the time outside of the Czech Republic was longer than 14 days

OR
the PCR testing results medical certificate (filled in a template available at the MoI website) proving that the test was conducted less than 4 days ago and done on own expense is not submitted upon the entry.

PCR test can be done likewise on the territory of the Czech Republic within 72 hours from the entry, however, these persons have obligation to report this fact to their regional hygienic station.

If the person did not undergo the ordered mandatory quarantine, the limitation of free movement within the territory for the period of time of 14 days since the entry to the Czech Republic applies, with the exception of:

travels to work and to performance of business activity or other similar activity and performance,
essential travels to procure basic necessities, to care for children, animals, to use necessary financial and postal services, to refill fuel,
travels to healthcare facilities and social services facilities,
travels to arrange urgent official matters,
travels back to the place of residence,
funerals.

Summary – the following applies to international transport workers:
– necessary quarantine measures: NO, except for exceptions (see above)
– obligation to submit upon the entry PCR test: NO, except for exceptions (see above)
– limitation on free movement on the territory of the Czech Republic with exceptions: YES
– obligation to wear protective equipment (face mask): YES
– travel time limitation: NO
– travel distance: not limited
– border crossings: both those with 24/7 regime and the ones for pendlers
– obligation to have Confirmation for International Transport Workers OR another document proving professional qualification: YES – certificate form available at mvcr.cz and mdcr.cz.

The medical testing results certificate means a document issued by a physician or a public health protection organ confirming that a RT-PCR test on SARS-CoV-2 was done with a negative result and is not older than 4 days; the test is done on own expenses. The testing results certificate should be submitted on a template document, which is available at the MoI website; confirmation from a doctor, containing the same information as the template document, can also be submitted. In specific cases, the PCR test can be taken on the territory within 72 hours of entering the territory of the Czech Republic; respective regional public health authority must be informed immediately about the passing of the test on the territory of CZ and the medical testing results certificate shall be submitted to the regional hygienic station.

Necessary quarantine measure means mainly quarantine in accordance with Act No. 258/2000 Coll., on the protection of public health and on the amendment of some related acts. The necessary quarantine measure is imposed by the regional hygienic station competent according to the place of residence or declared stay, on the basis of a telephone notification immediately after entering the territory of the Czech Republic.

Source: Ministry of Interior Czech Republic