The EU Commission has rubber-stamped legislation to create the EU Digital COVID Certificate for travel through the 27-nation block. The roll-out will start on July 1 2021 and member states will have six weeks to make it workable both in digital and paper format.
Presidents David Sassoli and Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister António Costa said in a statement:
“The EU Digital COVID Certificate is a symbol of what Europe stands for. Of a Europe that does not falter when put to the test. A Europe that unites and grows when faced with challenges. Our Union showed again that we work best when we work together.
“The EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation was agreed between our institutions in the record time of 62 days.”
The new Certificate will be free and available in all EU languages and show the vaccination and test and recovery history of the traveller. It is available in both digital and paper form to allow a traveller to move between European countries without having to quarantine or undergo extra coronavirus tests.
The certificate has a QR code that contains essential information, as well as a digital signature that authenticate the certificate.
So far, 12 countries including Austria, Green, Spain are already connected to the new technical framework.