The European leaders have approved the digital certificate for traveling in the European Union. It aims to facilitate the travel of citizens of all Member States while the pandemic lasts. The digital certificate will be valid in the European Union from 1 July and will be issued free of charge. Countries that succeed in preparing its introduction faster will be able to use it as early as June 1.
The official name of the document is “European Digital Covid Certificate”. It is not a mandatory document, but as EU citizens we are entitled to have it. The test will carry information on whether we are inoculated and with which vaccine, whether we have had a test and whether we have antibodies. The document can also be used at national level.
Before the pan-European document enters into force, it will have to receive the final approval by the European Parliament, which is expected to take place between 7 and 10 June.
How will we move around Europe?
Each Member State will decide for what period the document will be valid after immunisation and whether it will apply to only one dose of vaccine given. That will be so until the experts take a firm stand on how long the immune protection lasts.
The Member States will decide for themselves which test they will consider credible, its costs will be covered by the travelers.
Meanwhile, the European Commission has allocated an additional EUR 100 million for PCR tests. However, due to their high cost, it may also be necessary to recognise rapid antigen tests at a certain moment.
Each Member State shall also retain the right to impose quarantine, despite the existence of a certificate. For those who have fallen ill with coronavirus, the document will be valid for 188 days.
Unvaccinated people will have to monitor each country’s entry requirements when traveling, bTV reported.