BERLIN — New rules requiring all people flying to Germany to show a negative coronavirus test result before they board their plane have come into effect.

The rules, which were announced last week, took effect early Tuesday and are set to run until May 12. Travelers must show their airline a negative result in German, English or French from a test conducted no more than 48 hours before their planned arrival in Germany to board flights.

Airline crews and children under 5 are exempted. If people test positive, they have to remain where they are under local quarantine rules and at their own expense.

It’s up to airlines to check whether passengers have tested negative, though German federal police may conduct checks on arrival. The rules do not apply to other means of transport.

The German government characterizes the change as a precautionary move to prevent the virus from spreading. It follows a much-criticized surge in bookings to the Spanish island of Mallorca after a German travel warning was lifted.