The EU COVID Certificate (UCC), also known as a digital covid passport, is an electronic document that proves that you are either a covid or have had a COVID-19 vaccination. It is intended to facilitate travel in European Union countries. Which countries have introduced the UCC?
Traveling during a pandemic is a challenge – anyone wishing to travel abroad must carefully and continuously check the strictures of the country they are traveling to. The global epidemiological situation is causing most countries to require negative COVID-19 tests or certificates of being a recovering patient for those entering. Now, thanks to the EU COVID Certificate, travel to European Union countries is expected to be easier. What is a covid passport and how to obtain one?
What is a covid passport?
A covid passport, or health passport or green certificate, are the names colloquially used to describe the EU Digital COVID Certificate. This certificate is an electronic document that is supposed to exempt vaccinated persons and so-called recovered persons – those who have undergone COVID-19 – from quarantine and testing. The passport also contains information about a negative test result, if one was required.
Importantly, already the first dose of vaccine in the case of two-dose vaccination entitles you to collect a certificate. However, it is important to note that not every country accepts this version of the document.
After what time does the covidium passport become valid and how long is it valid?
From 14 days after the first dose in the case of single-dose vaccines or the second dose – in the case of two-dose vaccines – until 365 days after this event, from 11 days after becoming a recovered patient until 180 days after the PCR test, and immediately after a negative test result for COVID-19 until 48 hours after that.
The issuance of the certificate is free of charge and voluntary. The document is in digital form, and a printout can be obtained during a visit to a PCR doctor.
Read: Vacations and coronavirus – where can you fly on vacation and what are the restrictions?
Where does the covid passport work?
Where does the covid passport currently operate? To date, 10 countries in the European Union have connected to the IT infrastructure, and 7 of them have started issuing the first certificates. Currently, citizens of Poland, Greece, Germany and Croatia, among others, can obtain the documents.
The passport can be downloaded from the Internet Patient Account. The certificate is valid in all countries of the European Union. If you use the app, it will also be displayed offline, which is useful, for example, during checks when crossing state borders.
Traveling without vaccination
By design, the EU COVID Certificate is intended to facilitate travel for those who have undergone COVID-19 or vaccination, but movement between EU countries will not be conditional on having the document. However, it is worth remembering that also those who take the mandatory COVID-19 tests can use the electronic certificate.
If you want to go on vacation, the main thing to do is to observe safety rules. The European Union has introduced a common mapping system according to a color code and uniform criteria for travel restrictions to the countries concerned. According to this code, people from green areas can move without restrictions, people from orange areas will be required to show a negative test result before entering a foreign country, people from red areas will be required to undergo quarantine unless they undergo testing and get a negative result, and those living in dark red areas should avoid traveling at all except for necessary movement, for example, due to work.
Before deciding on a travel destination, it’s worth checking what the current restrictions are in the destination country and whether it requires testing – antigen tests are usually valid for 48 hours after testing, while PCR tests are valid for 72 hours.
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