EU countries get started !: Digital vaccination pass started: you need to know about the new important document
Those who have recovered, who have been tested and who have been vaccinated should now be able to digitally store their evidence. This is intended to make traveling within the EU much easier in particular. But the digital document also has many advantages in everyday life. The first EU countries are already getting started. We tell you how the start went and what you need to know about the vaccination certificate.
Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Poland have already started with the digital vaccination pass. Germany is still testing, will soon activate the function with the update in the Corona warning app. However: IBM is developing the digital health certificate for Germany. This is then valid on vacation.
This digital document will become the standard throughout Europe by the end of June at the latest and it should then also apply in Germany.
Is the digital vaccination certificate the corona warning app?
The digital vaccination pass (actually EU health certificate) will be part of the Corona warning app. However, IBM is currently developing the German certificate, which will then be valid throughout Europe. All vaccinated, recovered or tested German citizens then receive the certificate either digitally or in paper form. The certificate can be accessed digitally on a smartphone, tablet or PC. The document can also be printed out using a tablet or PC.
Who issues the digital certificate?
Vaccination centers, general practitioners, health authorities and hospitals should be able to issue the digital certificate. At the request of the EU, pharmacies should also participate. In Germany there is the certificate to start in the vaccination center, at the family doctor and in the hospitals. In addition, it is checked whether pharmacies should also issue the digital certificate on presentation of the yellow vaccination card.
In the first EU countries that have already started the European vaccination certificate, the town halls and citizens’ offices are also commissioned to issue them. Reason? The authorities usually also issue passports and ID cards.
Who will get the digital certificate?
All EU citizens have a right to the digital EU health certificate. You must have recovered, vaccinated, or tested.
- As “recovered“apply to German citizens whose positive PCR test result can be proven to have been a maximum of 180 days (six months) ago.
- As “fully vaccinated“apply to German citizens who have received a vaccination after a proven corona infection or who have received full vaccination protection through the vaccines Astrazeneca, BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. In both cases, the final vaccination must be 14 days ago. The vaccines Cansino, Curavec , Novavax, Sinovac Sinopharm and Sputnik V are currently not approved in the EU. Anyone who has been vaccinated with these vaccines needs an additional negative corona test when entering and leaving an EU member state.
- As “tested“applies to all travelers who can present a current and negative rapid antigen test before departure. In the case of a PCR test, the test period must not be older than 72 hours before departure.
I don’t have a printer, a PC or a smartphone – what applies to me?
It is still unclear what specifically applies in this case. The federal government is working on a procedure for this that will apply by the end of June at the latest.
It is possible that general practitioners, hospitals, vaccination centers or pharmacies can not only create the digital certificate – but also print it out.
Is the yellow vaccination card still valid?
For the time being, travelers can easily travel with the classic yellow vaccination card. It is still accepted across Europe as long as the vaccination is shown in English on the document.
However, the yellow vaccination card is not considered particularly secure and more and more forged evidence is appearing on the Internet. The pressure for a secure solution is therefore becoming louder in politics. As a result, the digital certificate could at least replace the yellow vaccination card when traveling.
What does the EU health certificate bring me?
The digital document is a type of digital ID. It is an important certificate so that German citizens can move within the EU without restrictions. At the same time, those who have recovered and who have been vaccinated are put on a par with those who have been tested. So if you have not yet received a vaccination, you can still travel – but you will need an additional rapid antigen test.
Vaccination, proof of recovery and the latest rapid antigen or PCR test are stored in the digital health certificate. If the evidence is uploaded, the certificate creates a QR code that is scanned upon entry – either by machine or by a security officer.
The EU relies on a traffic light procedure. If the green light appears when scanning, the certificate is valid and the person is allowed to travel. If a red light appears, the test evidence has expired or the second vaccination is missing.
Book vaccination appointments through Jameda
It also helps to gain time for more vaccinations Jameda, Germany’s leading doctor-patient platform: With the Jameda appointment booking In the future, vaccination appointments can not only be managed in an uncomplicated manner using the online appointment system, but relevant documents can also be made available in advance. The patients then receive the vaccination information sheet or information on behavior in the practice directly with the appointment confirmation. This should make the stay in the practice as short as possible and keep the risk of infection low. At the same time, the telephone lines remain free for other important matters.
In the JamedaWhen booking an appointment, both vaccination appointments (for the first and second vaccination) are automatically assigned and time windows that have become free at short notice can be closed again quickly – without much planning effort. This means that coveted vaccination appointments do not have to pass unused or vaccination doses expire. Book here Your appointment.
Like FOCUS Online, Jameda belongs to Hubert Burda Media.
What data is hidden in the QR code and what happens to my data?
The QR code shows the owner’s name and date of birth. In addition, the code also contains information on vaccinations, recoveries and testing. When was the owner vaccinated, tested and when was he ill? Who has the proof of where and when issued it? In addition, the vaccine and vaccination batch are also hidden behind the code.
As the press office of the EU Commission explains on request, all personal data is only stored on the mobile device. Airport employees should only be able to check whether the traveler really has a valid certificate and is allowed to enter or leave the country. Employees should not be able to see whether travelers have been vaccinated, tested or recovered.
What documents do I need when traveling?
To prevent attempted fraud, travelers must show the digital health certificate along with their identification documents. In many cases this should happen at the check-in. Some countries can carry out additional checks at the security checkpoint or at the gate.
Since the outbreak of the Corona crisis, so-called entry forms have also been used in many countries. Travelers have to register in advance and leave their contact details when they are on vacation. In an emergency, they should then be informed of a possible hotspot outbreak.
I am not vaccinated – do I still need the digital vaccination certificate?
If you want to go on vacation and have neither been vaccinated nor recovered, you need a negative test. The digital certificate therefore also applies here, because the result must be stored when traveling.
German citizens receive their test certificates downloaded directly onto their mobile phones and can use them to travel within the EU without any problems – there is no obligation to quarantine.
Where can I travel with the digital vaccination card?
The digital health certificate is valid in the 27 member states of the European Union, in the entire European Economic Area and in Switzerland.
Specifically, this applies to the following countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus, Iceland (EEA), Liechtenstein (EEA), Norway (EEA) and Switzerland.
Do you want an even deeper understanding?
Well informed through the crisis with our Corona guide: Experts explain what you now need to know about Covid-19.
What applies to trips to Turkey, Russia, Israel and Co.?
Quarantine is still mandatory for trips outside the EU. Travel destinations can also define PCR tests and special rules for those who have not been vaccinated or who have not recovered.
However, if travelers want to travel to the EU, they need the digital certificate.
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