The EU launches a digital travel certificate

An EU-wide travel system was launched on Thursday that allows European citizens to resume travel through the block without quarantine, to an extent designed to help boost tourism over the summer.

The EU’s “digital green certificate” will allow Europeans who have vaccination tests, negative Covid-19 tests or virus recovery tests, to travel to other member states. The application-based certificate provides travelers with a QR code that allows them to avoid quarantine in other member states.

The certificate was agreed by EU governments and MEPs in May and was introduced after pressure from tourism-dependent southern economies desperately in need of summer visitors.

The system, which is now deployed in all 27 member states, was already being tested by many countries before launch. According to the European Commission, more than 200 million certificates have been downloaded.

Brussels has been pressured to propose a system of coordinated travel to prevent member states from imposing their own rules. The airline and travel industry has also demanded the deployment of technology to facilitate safe travel for vaccinated and unvaccinated citizens.

“The European digital certificate is the symbol of an open and secure Europe that is being opened with caution by putting the protection of the health of our citizens first,” said Commission Chair Ursula von der Leyen.

Non-EU citizens can enter the bloc if they have been completely vaccinated with a sting recognized by the European Medicines Agency. Member States may also choose to allow travelers who have received other blows that have received emergency approval from the World Health Organization.

“A lot of paperwork is needed right now to travel back and forth to Greece,” said Isidora Chandeli, manager of Verina boutique hotels on the island of Sifnos. “The European passport will make the process much easier.”