The European Union on Thursday launched its digital COVID-19 certificate system, a “vaccine passport” type credential meant to smooth border crossings between the EU’s 27 member states.
Called the EU digital COVID certificate, the credential indicates if a traveller has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, has received a recent negative test result, or has immunity due to recent recovery. It takes the form of a QR code which can be displayed on an electronic device such as a smartphone or printed out.
“In March, we promised to have an EU-wide system to facilitate free and safe travel within the EU by the summer holidays,” said EC President Ursula von der Leyen, in a statement. “Now we can confirm that the EU Digital COVID Certificate system is up and running.”
“Under the new rules, Member States must refrain from imposing additional travel restrictions on holders of an EU Digital COVID Certificate, unless they are necessary and proportionate to safeguard public health,” the EC said in a statement.
Fully vaccinated persons with the digital credential should be exempted from travel-related testing or quarantine 14 days after having received the last dose of an EU-approved COVID-19 vaccine. The same exemption should apply to previously infected people who recovered and who received a single dose of the vaccine. Member States also have the option to lift travel-related testing or quarantine restrictions for people who received the first dose of a 2-dose series.
People who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection and possess an EU digital COVID certificate should be exempted from travel-related testing or quarantine during the first 180 days after a positive PCR test.
Those with a negative test in the digital certificate format should be exempted from quarantine requirements, unless they come from areas heavily impacted by the virus, which are regions designated as “dark red” by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. EU member states have agreed on a standard validity period for tests—72 hours for PCR tests and, where accepted by individual countries, 48 hours for rapid antigen tests.
While several EU countries have run trials on the new system before July 1, it is not clear whether police or those controlling borders have the equipment and manpower to check travellers.
Europe’s air travel industry cautioned earlier this week that plans for the certificate rollout were still “fragmented,” warning of long lines for travellers unless countries better coordinate deployment.
“Duplicate checks and lack of verification tools provided to airlines will cause unnecessary airport queues and longer processing times if not addressed by the Member States,” they added.