Since the beginning of this month, digital certificates of COVID-19 (EUDCC) have come into use, enabling citizens of the European Union (EU) to travel from one country to another.
The purpose of the certificate is to allow travel within the continent, without restrictions, for all people who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, who have recently been tested and found to be free of the virus, and those who have survived the disease.
It is known as the "European Vaccine Passport" and is recognized by all 27 EU member states and other nations such as Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
"We want to help member states restore without fear of freedom of movement," European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said in launching the initiative.
However, the vaccination passport proposal was opposed by some states amid concerns that it could be used as a discriminatory tool.
Responding to the motion, European Commission officials stated that they want to control any citizens who for one reason or another have not been vaccinated.
The EU has indicated that the move is intended to guarantee citizens and residents of the union freedom of movement.
However, countries like Germany and Spain have already relaxed travel restrictions from outside the EU.
How does this passport work and how will it affect travelers?
1. What is EUDCC?
Here are the criteria considered before approving this digital certificate:
- It is used by all citizens of the European Union (EU).
- It confirms the vaccine or specific tests that indicate the user has no Covid-19 or has recently recovered from an infection (within the last 180 days).
- It is supplied in a digital format with paper.
- All designs include a QR code to ensure the validity of the certificate.
- It will also contain important information, meaning it will protect the personal information of the subject.
- It will be published in the official language or languages of the countries that offer it in addition to English.
- It will be provided free of charge.
- Any member state that will allow vaccinated travelers to avoid conditions (such as stay in quarantine) must accept certificates from other EU countries subject to similar conditions.
The European Union has so far approved the vaccines of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, but the Russian vaccines Sputnik V and the Chinese vaccines Sinovac and Sinopharm have not yet been approved.
The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine made in India, known as Covishield, is also not included in the EUDCC program.
A measure that will affect many travelers from Asia and Africa, the vaccine developed by the Indian Serum Institute, has been widely used.
But the proposal adds that member states have been given a decision on whether to accept immunization certificates approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), as was the case with the Covishield vaccine.
Seven EU countries (Spain, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Ireland, Austria, and Estonia) - along with Iceland and Switzerland - have approved Covishield for arriving travelers, sources told the BBC last Thursday.
China's most widely used vaccines in the world (in 61 different countries) have been approved by the WHO for emergency use.
The Russian Sputnik V vaccine has not yet received WHO approval. However, a country like Greece has included it in its list of conditions for entry into the country.
2. Who can get the certificate?
The European Commission for Justice, Didier Reynders, said the certificates were issued to ensure "safe transport and minimal restrictions this summer".
On its website, the European Commission states that the certificate must be issued to all EU citizens and their families, regardless of their nationality.
The certificate also includes foreign nationals living in the EU and foreigners who have travel permits in the member states of the union.
3. Criticism
There has been opposition to the idea of designing a “vaccination passport”, which many consider being discriminatory.
Some argue that only a few people will be able to travel without restrictions, while others - especially young people, who are not a key component of the vaccine - continue to face conditions such as compulsory quarantine.
There are also doubts about how the vaccine prevents a vaccinated person from becoming a carrier or distributor of the virus.
Awaiting the EU announcement, the WHO said it was working on a "reliable international system" for safe transport and that vaccination would not be a criterion.
The EU says those who have been vaccinated and those who have not been vaccinated will benefit from the EUDCC because it includes those who have been tested for Covid-19 or have recovered from the disease.
On the issue of the protection of personal information, European authorities insist that the information in the certificate should be basic, such as name, date of birth, date of issue of the certificate, and important details about the vaccine or Corona tests.
4. How will it affect travelers?
The European Union has acknowledged that this is a difficult process, so it has left its responsibility to collect information from member states.
Each member state will also decide how it will allow travelers from developing countries who have met the required conditions to enter the country.
Spain and Germany, for example, have opened their borders to tourists who can prove they have received the final dose of the vaccine at least 14 days before arriving in those countries.
In Germany, the only vaccines to be approved are those approved by European authorities: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Janssen.
A European Union spokesman told the BBC that, although each country has the right to decide how foreign travelers can enter their territory, many areas are likely to wait for the development of digital Covid 19 certificates from developing countries.
"It is likely to be an 'equitable' decision: once the Commission is satisfied that developing countries have the capacity to issue certificates that meet EU standards and systems, they may decide to accept such certificates," he said.
This means, according to the EU, that certificates from outside the continent can - in the future - meet the requirements of the Covid Digital Certificate for European states.
He also suggested that people visit the embassies of the respective countries to familiarize themselves with the conditions before embarking on tourist trips.
However, European citizens living in other countries and who have been vaccinated in those countries can apply for a digital certificate.
"EU citizens who have been vaccinated in non-EU member states can submit an application for [EUDCC] to their respective countries (members) or have been granted residence," the spokesman explained.
"The EUDCC certificate will be issued if there is proof of immunization for the person and if the local health systems are acceptable. For more information, citizens can go to member states of nationality or residence, he added.
