The European Union’s new digital Covid-19 certificate scheme will go live this summer, meaning Brits could holiday in destinations such as Spain as soon as June.
Known as the Digital Green Certificate scheme, the initiative will enable the safe and secure movement of holidaymakers across Europe, providing they meet strict health requirements.
According to the EU Commission, a certificate will only be issued to those who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, have received a negative test result, or have recovered from Covid-19.
This may include, for example, someone with a vaccination certificate or a negative test certificate for a NAAT/RT-PCR test or a rapid antigen test.
Commenting on the announcement, Spain’s tourism minister, Fernando Valdes Verelst, said: “I think the best thing that governments right now can provide to travellers is certainty, give the proper information and the security that they can travel and they can come back to the countries.
“In those terms, in the European Union, we put in place a system … that provides us with digital certificate.
“Spain is going to be ready in June to use this digital certificate. We are doing a pilot programme in May, in all our 46 airports.”
Commenting on the launch of the scheme, Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency at the EU Commission, added: “This is a good message in support of recovery. Our key objectives are to offer an easy to use, non-discriminatory and secure tool that fully respects data protection. And we continue working towards international convergence with other partners.”
Under the UK Government’s roadmap, international travel could resume from 17 May.
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