Germany

Recommended Vaccinations For Germany

For Most Travellers

Hepatitis B Vaccine

Although there is a low risk of hepatitis B in this country, the vaccination is recommended.

Hepatitis A Vaccine

Although there is a low risk of hepatitis A in this country, the vaccination is recommended.

For Some Travellers

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) Vaccine

A dose of Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is recommended for infants aged 6 to 11 months.

Rabies Vaccine

The vaccination is recommended for those travellers whose activities or work bring them into direct contact with bats.

Tick-Borne Encephalitis Vaccine

**Travellers who plan to visit Germany during early spring to late autumn and hike or camp in parts of the following areas should consider obtaining this vaccine: Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Thuringia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.**

Recommended Medications For Germany

There are no recommendations for Germany at this time.

Diseases To Be Aware of for Germany

For Most Travellers

Hepatitis B

There is a low risk of hepatitis B in this country.

Hepatitis A

There is a low risk of hepatitis A in this country.

For Some Travellers

Hanta Virus

There is a risk of acquiring Hantavirus in this country through the consumption of food and water contaminated by an infected rodent or through rodent bites.

Measles

A dose of Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is recommended for infants aged 6 to 11 months.

Tuberculosis

Travellers to this country are at risk for tuberculosis if visiting sick friends or family, working in the healthcare field, or having close prolonged contact with infected persons.

Rabies

**Rabies has not been reported in Germany and is considered a low risk for travellers, However, it may occur in bats.**

Tick-Borne Encephalitis

**There is a risk of Tick-borne Encephalitis infection in some areas of this country, especially in the states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. Other risk areas include Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland states. The transmission season varies, however, ticks are most active during early spring to late autumn.**

Safety & Security in Germany

Personal Safety

Germany remains relatively safe for visitors. Police recorded nearly 6 million criminal offenses in 2023, with theft, drug crimes, and property offenses being the most common. Violent crime reached a 15-year high in 2023 with 214,099 cases recorded, including an 8.6% increase from the previous year. Knife crimes nearly tripled between 2020 and 2023, rising from 10,121 incidents to 26,230 incidents. Pickpocketing is common in tourist zones and train stations, particularly in cities like Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, and Hamburg. Keep your wallet and phone secure, especially on crowded public transport and at major tourist attractions. Police clearance rates have remained consistently above 50 percent since 2013. In 2017, 23% of Germans felt unsafe in public spaces, but this figure nearly doubled to 40% by 2024, with 43% of women reporting feeling unsafe. Despite these increases, the murder rate remains low at approximately 1 per 100,000 people. Urban centers like Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Bremen have higher crime rates than rural areas.

Extreme Violence

Germany faces an ongoing terrorism risk. Between 2020 and May 2025, 9 terrorist attacks classified as Islamist took place, including the 2020 Dresden stabbing and the 2024 Solingen stabbings where three people were killed. In 2024, three people were killed in a knife attack in Solingen, claimed by Islamic State. Attackers are increasingly young and radicalized online, particularly following the Gaza war, and typically act alone without formal membership of terrorist groups. Christmas markets, public festivals, pedestrian zones, shopping areas, gyms, and public transportation remain popular targets. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office opened 744 new terrorism investigations in 2023. At least seven minors have been arrested in connection with terrorist offenses since October 2023, representing an increasing challenge for authorities. Far-right terrorism also poses risks. In 2023, a trial concluded against 12 alleged supporters of the right-wing terrorist group Gruppe S, who were accused of amassing weapons and developing plans to commit political assassinations and attack migrants and Muslims. In December 2024, a Saudi Arabian man rammed his car into a crowd at the Magdeburg Christmas market, killing six people and injuring at least 299 others. Major sporting events and large gatherings face elevated threat levels, with authorities foiling multiple plots targeting such venues.

Political Unrest

Germany experiences significant political demonstrations, though most proceed peacefully. In early 2024, widespread protests against the far-right Alternative for Germany party took place after revelations about meetings discussing mass deportations. An estimated 1.4 million people hit the streets over one weekend in January 2024, with protests continuing for several weeks. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in cities including Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Dresden. In 2023 and early 2024, farmers’ protests blocked roads and central warehouses of food discounters throughout the country in response to proposed tax changes. Several large protests took place in 2023, including widespread demonstrations against rising energy prices, growing inflation, and cost of living increases. Climate protests by groups like Last Generation have faced criminalization, with authorities indicting the group in May 2024 on charges typically reserved for serious organized crime. Police frequently used excessive force against pro-Palestine protesters following October 2023. Berlin authorities imposed blanket bans on pro-Palestine protests, failing to conduct individual assessments of whether restrictions were necessary and proportionate. While most demonstrations are permitted without undue interference, you should avoid large gatherings and demonstrations as they can turn confrontational or attract police responses involving force.

Areas To Avoid

No specific no-go areas exist in Germany, but certain neighborhoods experience higher crime rates than others. In Berlin, Kreuzberg and areas around Alexanderplatz see elevated street crime, particularly in tourist zones and the nightclub district. Kottbusser Tor has a reputation for drug dealing and petty crime around the station, though it remains busy during the day and into evening. In Frankfurt, the Bahnhofsviertel around the main train station and the Zeil shopping street experience higher rates of theft and property crime. Hamburg’s St. Georg district reports higher crime activity. Major cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Bremen have city-state crime rates higher than the national average. The federal state with the highest crime rate among non-city states is Saxony-Anhalt at 7,996 crimes per 100,000 people, compared with the German average of 6,209. Eastern German regions, particularly smaller towns and villages, can be more unpleasant for visibly non-white people, though actual violence remains statistically low. Train station areas across German cities tend to attract petty crime and require extra vigilance. Munich, Mainz, Nuremberg, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Dresden, and Augsburg rank among the safest cities. Bavaria has the lowest crime rate among federal states.