EU to Launch Digital Green Certificates to Facilitate Travel: FAQs

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began around a year ago, international travel has been heavily restricted. This includes both to European Union (EU) countries for non-EU citizens, as well as among EU Member States.

There’s even been talk that the pandemic has jeopardised the EU’s Freedom of Movement, one of Europe’s so-called “Four Freedoms”. After all, as a result of COVID-19, EU countries have temporarily re-established their internal borders with each other on public health grounds.

Given this, it’s logical that, what with the release of COVID-19 vaccines recently, there’d be suggestions of the need for what are being called “vaccine passports”.

These are both to re-establish the EU’s Freedom of Movement among Member States, and to lend a helping hand to the European countries most dependent on tourism, like Spain, Italy and Greece.

In brief, the quicker that people can travel again, the sooner Europe’s internal territorial integrity can be re-established, and the faster that the EU’s economy can recover.

European Commission Unveils Digital Green Certificates

With this in mind, earlier this month the European Commission (EC) unveiled its Digital Green Certificates. These are a new travel document facilitating travel among EU Member States, with the potential for the scheme to be extended outside of Europe too.

Importantly, the EC highlights that the certificates are more than “vaccine passports”. This is because they’ll be available both to people who’ve been vaccinated, as well as those who’ve tested negatively for COVID and those who have recovered from the virus.

The EC is implementing the certificate at the time of writing, with the hope that it will be up and running in time for the Summer 2021 tourism season. Here’s everything we know so far.

What Is the EU’s Digital Green Certificate?

It’s a forthcoming travel document intended to facilitate travel, initially among EU Member States but with the potential for the scheme to be extended internationally.

The certificate will be available to EU citizens, their family members, non-EU residents, plus visitors with the right to travel to other EU countries. The document will demonstrate that these people are safe to travel from one European country to another.

What Form Will the EU’s New Travel Document Take?

The EC has announced that the Digital Green Certificate will be available in either a digital or paper format. This way, travellers can either show their valid document on their smartphone or by printing it in advance to show at the customs checkpoint.

The certificate will feature a QR code that should be scanned upon arrival, and will verify the visitor’s travel details and COVID status. The certificate will be written in English, as well as the native language of each Member State (e.g. German, Spanish, French).

What Information Will the Digital Green Certificate Include?

The plan is for the certificate to include only the minimum data necessary to verify the traveller’s identity and COVID-19 status, for privacy reasons. This will include:

Traveller’s Details

1. The traveller’s full name.
2. The traveller’s date of birth.
3. The issuing EU Member State.
4. A unique identifier code per certificate.

For Vaccinated Individuals

1. The vaccine product and manufacturer.
2. The number of doses received.
3. The date of vaccination.

For Tested Individuals

1. The type of test (a NAAT/RT-PCR test or a rapid antigen test).
2. The date and time of the test.
3. The test centre and result.

For Recovered Individuals

1. The date of the positive test result.
2. The issuer of the certificate.
3. The date of issuance and the validity date.

Which Countries Will Issue the Digital Green Certificate?

The EC intends for the scheme to be EU-wide across all 27 Member States, namely:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

In addition, it looks likely that EEA (European Economic Area) countries will also use the certificate at the outset, namely Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, plus microstates Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican. Switzerland could be incorporated too.

What’s more, in its press release, the EC adds that third-party countries could use the Digital Green Certificate if and when they comply with international standards. An obvious candidate would be the UK.

Which COVID-19 Vaccines Will Be Accepted?

The EC proposes that all EU Member States must accept vaccines that have received EU market authorisation. So far, these are the vaccines of BioNTech and Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Janssen Pharmaceutica NV.

In addition, individual Member States will be permitted to accept other vaccines, such as Russia’s Sputnik V or China’s vaccines (there are several, such as Sinopharm).

When Will the Digital Green Certificate Be Available?

The objective is for this travel document to be available ahead of the Summer 2021 tourism peak, so as soon as possible, really.

The EC is coordinating the introduction of the new travel document in the EU’s Member States. Each country will be responsible for setting up its software and infrastructure, although the database will be maintained at an EU-wide level.

How Much Will the EU’s New Travel Document Cost?

The EC proposes that the Digital Green Certificate will be free for travellers.

While the scheme is being set up, each EU Member State will bear the cost, although the EC states that funds will be available to subsidise their expenses if needed.

How Long Will the Digital Green Certificate Scheme Go On?

According to the EC, the scheme will last until the WHO (World Health Organisation) declares the global pandemic over. Of course, once the infrastructure for the Digital Green Certificate is up and running, it will be relatively simple to reactivate if there’s a future COVID wave or (God forbid!) another pandemic.

Why Is the European Commission Eager Not to Call This a “Vaccine Passport”?

This is because, firstly, the EC insists that being vaccinated against COVID-19 shouldn’t be a precondition to travel among EU Member States. After all, as we say above, Freedom of Movement is one of Europe’s “Four Indivisible Freedoms”, an inalienable right for EU citizens.

As such, while the EU’s countries have temporarily restricted travel on public health grounds, the EC considers that the Digital Green Certificate simply facilitates Freedom of Movement, rather than restoring a legal right per se.

According to EC president Ursula von der Leyen, “We aim to help Member States reinstate the Freedom of Movement in a safe, responsible and trusted manner.”

Secondly, the Digital Green Certificate will be more than just a “vaccine passport”. This is because it will also be available to people who’ve tested negative for COVID-19 (via a NAAT/RT-PCR test or a rapid antigen test) as well as those who have recovered from the virus, as we say above.

As such, this travel document will be issued to more than just people who’ve been vaccinated. With this, the EC hopes to avoid distinctions between those who’ve been vaccinated and those who haven’t, or the suggestion that vaccinated people have more rights.

So with the EU set to launch its new Digital Green Certificate in the coming months, it looks like travel among EU Member States will open up again as we head into Summer 2021! Find out more about the travel documents you need to visit Europe on Byevisa.com’s EU ETIAS visa waiver page.