Can I Now Travel To Europe With A Vaccination Card?
It is not surprising that the pandemic disrupted significant economic activities, supply chain operations, logistics, and transportation industries. With the alarming situation, governments have decided to close their national borders and impose travel restrictions to contain the transmission of COVID-19.
As a result, one of the challenges for tourism and transportation agencies has been reopening borders and restoring passenger flights.
Consequently, European legislators encourage travelers to get a complete dosage of vaccines and obtain a booster shot three to six months after the last dose. They aim to reduce the spread of five of the most severe variants of concern: Alpha, Beta Gamma, Delta, and Omicron, and prevent health facilities from saturation.
For those who need to travel in Europe, they must undergo mandatory PCR testing and wait for negative result. Completing their quarantine days before leaving and entering a country is also a must.
Indeed, the procedures for obtaining travel requirements might confuse people. Hence, the European Commission has implemented digital COVID-19 Vaccination Card.
EU’s Digital COVID Vaccination Card
The European Commission had declared that by July 1, 2021, all EU countries will recognize and use the EU’s Digital COVID Certificate for travel purposes. Every EU citizen can obtain it for free if they have recovered from COVID-19, received a negative test, or have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus.
Additionally, the certification is valid for all EU citizens and specific travelers from developing countries. When you plan to travel, this is a verification that you are not a carrier of the virus and are eligible to go outside the borders. The certificate is in both the national language and English so that EU citizens can recognize it.
What is its purpose?
The COVID-19 Passport’s primary purpose is to encourage economic activity and restore freedom in travel. When presented at border control, the certificate can be digitally or in paper format for authentication and identification purposes. Travellers should be aware that some Member States continue to place stricter restrictions on countries with higher COVID-19 rates.
Features of the COVID-19 Certificate
The COVID passports have several vital features. First, it contains a QR code with a digital signature to protect private information against counterfeiting. Your vaccine is also indicated in the passport. Remember that the European Medicines Agency authorized only four vaccines. These are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Janssen, and Moderna. If you have had a vaccine not approved in the EU, it is advisable to verify which vaccines are acceptable in each member state before you travel.
Second, storing vaccination-related digital information enables faster and more convenient verification. It provides ethical, security, and privacy solutions if concerns and cyber threats arise. The European Commission created a gateway that allows all certificate signatures to be checked.
Furthermore, the gateway does not store any personal data about the certificate holder as it is not required to verify the digital signature. Lastly, the digital form of the certificate is equal to its paper version. It means you can present either of the two to the border guards to show your eligibility.
How to get the EU’s COVID Certificate?
To obtain an EU’s digital COVID certificate, you will need to have either of the three certifications required. The options are certificate of testing, recovery certificate, and vaccination card. A person who has either a negative test result or has been vaccinated as stated in the EU Digital COVID Certificate format must be exempted from any quarantine requirements unless they come from an area heavily affected by the disease. The Member States agreed on a standard validity period for tests. Seventy-two hours for PCR tests and 48 hours for rapid antigen tests.
The national health authorities must provide information on how to get the certificate. Travelers without COVID-19 passports are subjected to quarantines, entry bans, and testing.
The EU’s vaccine certificate is available to all international efforts, including the United Nations, World Health Organization (WHO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICCO), and United Nations. The Commission is currently working towards compatibility with third-world certificates.
European nationals can obtain an EU vaccination certificate from where they were vaccinated. Certificates can also be issued from hospitals, test centres, and health authorities in all EU and Schengen countries.
Here is an infographic from Harley Medic International and Official Rapid Tests for further information about the matter.
