Digital Covid Travel Certificates to be launched on July 1

  • 2 June, 21

At the end of the European Council in Brussels today, Portugal’s prime minister António Costa announced that the long-promised ‘vaccine passports’ or Digital Covid Certificates will be coming into force in Europe from July 1

The Council’s Permanent Representatives Committee unanimously supported the political agreement reached with the European Parliament on 20 May on the EU’s COVID digital certificate.

The certificate will be available both in digital and in paper format, with a QR code, and will be issued free of charge. The certificate is not a precondition for the exercise of free movement rights, nor does it constitute a travel document. The Certificate applies for people:

  • who have been vaccinated against COVID-19; or
  • who received a negative test result; or
  • who recovered from COVID-19

All COVID-19 vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency will be recognised by the EU Digital Covid Certificate. These include the ones developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Member states will also be free to decide for themselves whether to accept other vaccines. Those who have not been vaccinated will not be forbidden to travel, they will be subject to limitations such as presenting a negative Covid test or mandatory quarantine/self-isolation.

Regarding the negative Covid-19 test, only PCR tests and rapid antigen tests will be accepted as proof of a negative result. Only PCR tests will be accepted as proof of recovery.

Cre:Portugalresident

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