Summer vacation 2021: You should definitely take three documents with you this year

Spain, France, Italy and Greece already attract with attractive offers. In June, travelers can go to Crete for a week for less than 400 euros or they can book Lanzarote for just under 350 euros per person. Large travel providers such as Tui, AllTours and even Lufthansa are reporting increased demand. Beach holidays on the Mediterranean are particularly popular.

But before Germany can put the towel on the beach chair again, three documents should be in the travel bag – or at least on the smartphone. If you want to travel, you should plan well this year. In previous years, you could only travel with your identity card in the EU, but now corona proofs are also required when entering the country. Travelers should also not forget their health insurance card.

For families who have not been vaccinated or have recovered, the price shock threatens at the latest when testing!

What proof do I need to travel?

In addition to the ID card or passport) also the digital green badge from mid-June at the latest as the most important entry and exit document. The member states can either develop their own apps or integrate the function in the previous regional Corona warning apps. The EU proposes its own app called “Re-Open Europe”, which today bundles and displays all information for entering and leaving the EU.

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Travelers should be able to record their vaccinations and tests (rapid test or PCR) in the new “Digital Green Certificate”. At the same time, travelers receive the recovery certificate if they have contracted Corona within the past six months and are therefore considered to be “recovered”. For this, the positive PCR test that determined the infection at the time must be available.

The app then creates a certificate (tested, recovered or vaccinated). There travelers will find a barcode and their name. When the certificate is scanned at the airport, it is only determined whether the person concerned is allowed to enter or leave the country.

Third parties are not shown whether there is a vaccination, testing or recovery. However, if an airline has concerns about the authenticity of the certificate, data such as name, date of birth, address and certificate type can be queried.

Even without an app or smartphone, entry and exit within the EU should be possible without any problems. Travelers can print out the “Digital Green Certificate” (vaccinated, recovered or tested) and present it on arrival and departure.

No digital ID – does the yellow vaccination card also apply?

Vaccination cards and vaccination certificates that are issued in several languages ​​(also in English or French) are considered official proof of vaccination within the EU. However, only the “Digital Green Certificate” is valid for entry and exit, as confirmed by the press office of the EU Commission on request. The decision of the EU Commission also states that the uniform regulation is intended to prevent “discrimination between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not been vaccinated”.

No vaccination and not demonstrably “recovered”: which test do I need?

The EU prescribes so-called NAAT tests for those who have not been vaccinated and those who have not recovered. NAT stands for nucleic acid amplification technology, as the Paul Ehrlich Institute explains. This includes the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction, PCR) method known in Germany. A smear is taken from the throat or nose with a special swab and sent to a diagnostic laboratory.

The European Union also wants to accept antigen self-tests. These are currently available in Germany in many test centers and in pharmacies. They are carried out by healthcare professionals. It is still unclear whether these tests will also apply at the airport or whether only certain test providers will be accepted. Commercially available self-tests are currently considered less reliable and should therefore not be accepted when traveling.

Antigen and PCR tests make the vacation more expensive overall. At German airports, a PCR test usually costs between 80 and 130 euros, because they also require an express flat-rate fee for the laboratory. The test result is often available within a few hours. Rapid antigen tests are currently available for EUR 40 to EUR 90 at German airports.

If a family of four with two children aged 14 and over who has not been vaccinated or recovered carries out the test at the airport, additional costs of at least 160 euros will be incurred. For the return flight, prices in the same amount are due again. So in total it makes additional costs of over 350 euros. If a PCR test is required upon entry, the family can even expect additional costs of up to 1,000 euros (return flight) in the worst case.

Prices could rise with the start of the summer season. This was the case, for example, with flights to Spain or Greece last December. When the “Digital Green Certificate” starts, the antigen or PCR test must also be stored in the specified apps.

What applies outside the EU?

The “Digital Green Certificate” is valid within the EU and also in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. When entering an EU member state, the document becomes mandatory in addition to the identification documents. When leaving the European Union for a non-EU country, the regulations of the destination apply.

  • Case study Turkey: Turkey is not a member of the EU. For example, travelers currently need a mandatory PCR test upon entry, which must not be older than 72 hours. In addition, travelers must complete the “Form to enter Turkey” to complete. If you want to travel from Turkey to the EU, you need the “Digital Green Certificate”.

Why do I also need my health insurance card?

Those with statutory health insurance can use the EHIC insurance card to receive medical benefits across Europe – at private practices for a deductible.

The EHIC is printed on the back of most German insurance cards. In many cases it is issued in addition. It is advisable to take your insurance card with you so that you can react quickly to symptoms of illness.

Private patients should take out additional insurance or foreign health insurance so that they do not experience any nasty surprises at the holiday destination in an emergency.

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.

Not vaccinated or not recovered: do I have to be in quarantine?

Anyone who wants to travel within the EU can move freely with the “Digital Green Certificate”. It is important that travelers who have been vaccinated, tested or recovered provide their relevant evidence. Anyone who has neither been vaccinated nor recovered needs a negative PCR test.

The quarantine obligation is completely eliminated because non-vaccinated and vaccinated people are treated equally within the EU. However, the following applies: If a virus mutation breaks out in a holiday country, quarantine may apply on the return journey in individual cases.

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