The EU vaccine 'passport' and what it means for travel
- Published
An EU vaccine "passport" has been introduced, enabling holders to prove they have been jabbed.
The EU Digital Covid Certificate can be used to avoid self-isolating on arrival in the UK, if travelling from amber-list countries. France is an exception.
What's the EU Digital Covid Certificate?
It is available in all 27 member nations - plus Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
EU citizens (and those of Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein), can download it or obtain a paper copy - at no cost. It is also available to non-EU nationals living legally in member states who have the right to travel to other member states.
Because the UK is no longer in the EU, the certificate is not available to most Britons.
EU nationals vaccinated in the UK must check with their home countries to see if they are eligible.
Travellers will still need to carry a passport or other identification.
How does it work?
The certificate can be issued if someone has:
- been vaccinated against Covid-19
- recently had a negative PCR test
- recently recovered from Covid-19
Anyone holding a certificate should, in principle, be exempted from testing or quarantine when crossing a border within the EU (or Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein).
It has a QR code unique to the place an individual's vaccine information is stored - a hospital or test centre, for example. The personal data is not saved locally when it's verified - at an airport, for example.
Can I travel to the UK and use the NHS Covid Pass instead?
The NHS Covid Pass is a similar vaccine "passport", but it is only for people who have been fully vaccinated through the NHS.
People in England arriving from an amber country can avoid quarantine by using the pass (or by calling 119 for a printed letter).
Can I use the NHS Covid Pass in the EU?
You can't yet use it EU-wide - but some individual countries, such as Greece and Spain, do accept it.
The EU says it's working to ensure its own certificate is compatible with similar products.
If it's satisfied the NHS pass complies with EU standards and systems, it can decide to accept it.
If I do use the NHS pass, does it matter if I got an Indian-made jab?
The UK received five million Indian-made AstraZeneca (AZ) doses, but the manufacturer - the Serum Institute (SI) - hasn't been EU-approved.
SI distributes the vaccines under the brand-name, Covishield. But the Department for Health says no Covishield doses have been used in the UK. They were "treated as Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca" instead.
The UK government said it was confident travel to the EU wouldn't be affected for UK citizens who'd had the jabs - but, for a short time, there was concern Malta wouldn't admit UK visitors vaccinated with Indian-made batches.
The Foreign Office advice for travel to Malta has since been updated.
Did I get an Indian-made vaccine?
The person who jabbed you should have written the batch numbers used on the back of your vaccination card.
You will also see your numbers on NHS Covid Pass letters needed for some foreign travel. A digital version of the letter will be on your NHS App.
The letters will also have the AZ jab listed as Vaxzevria, the AstraZeneca vaccine name recognised by the EU's medicine regulator.
Other EU and UK-approved vaccines are also sometimes known by different names:
- Oxford-AstraZeneca (AZ) is also known as Vaxzevria
- Pfizer-BioNTech is also known as Comirnaty
- Moderna is also known as Spikeva
- Janssen (sometimes known as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) is the same as in the UK