The European Union’s (EU) much-awaited digital COVID-19 travel certificate has been finally launched. The certificate was introduced on Tuesday and it will allow travellers to start planning for the summer holidays. The certificate will be standardised across the continent next month.
According to the Commission, the digital COVID certificate will allow EU citizens to upload a proof of a negative COVID-19 test result or proof they contracted the virus and have recovered. The certificate will have a QR code with a digital signature “to protect it against falsification.”
With this digital certificate, European travellers will not have to face any travel restrictions. As of now, there are seven EU countries, namely Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia, and Poland, who have signed the first certificates.
Starting July 1, the certificate will be implemented across the bloc. Stella Kyriakides, the commissioner for health and food safety, said, “The EU Digital COVID Certificate shows the value added of effective e-health solutions for our citizens. EU citizens are looking forward to traveling again, and they want to do so safely. Having an EU certificate is a crucial step on the way.”
The EU is planning to reopen to vaccinated foreign travellers, which includes the United States. A lot of EU countries have started welcoming tourists from America, including Croatia, Italy, and Greece. Spain plans on welcoming tourists from June 7, and France has announced to open its borders by June 9.