Formerly called the Green Certificate, seven countries in the European Union have begun trials of the new EU digital COVID-19 certificate that will grant holders the right to move freely between EU countries. And good news: If you’ve been dreaming of a Greek island vacation or a Croatian road trip this summer, the EU certificate will also be available to non-EU international travelers — including Americans.
Photo: Oleksiy Mark/Shutterstock
EU Digital COVID-19 Certificates Will Be Available to US Travelers
“Right now if you’re an American, not living in the EU, you could get the certificate if you ask the national authorities of a member state [i.e. European Union member nation ] to give you that certificate-based on some proof that you’ve been vaccinated, or had a recent Covid test,” a spokesperson told CNN.
The EU digital COVID-19 certificate will be widely available on July 1. It will be available on your smartphone, with the option to request a paper copy. It will include information like your name, date of birth, the certificate issuer, and a QR code that will act as a unique identifier of your COVID-19 status. The software will store three types of certificates. The first is a vaccination certificate that will indicate your last vaccination date and if you’re only partly or fully vaccinated. Accepted vaccines are Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. The second is a test certificate indicating your negative test results from a NAAT test or rapid antigen test. And the third is proof of recovery of COVID-19 within the last 60 days.
Issuance of the certificate to members of the US will be dependent on each EU member state. Citizens from low-risk countries to enter so far include eight countries — Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and China (although it’s currently subject to confirmation of reciprocity). Although it’s recommended that border control policy be the same across the EU, each country will decide whether they will accept proof of vaccination to waive travel restrictions from the US or other non-EU citizens. 