EU limits COVID-19 certificate validity to 9 months

The European Commission on Tuesday adopted rules for the EU COVID-19 digital certificate, establishing a nine-month (270-day) binding acceptance period for vaccination certificates for intra-EU travel.

A “clear” and “uniform” acceptance period for vaccination certificates will ensure that travel measures continue to be coordinated, as requested by the European Council following its last meeting on December 16, 2021, the Commission said in a statement.

Continued coordination is essential for the functioning of the single market and will provide clarity for EU citizens in exercising their right to free movement, it believes.

So far, 807 million certificates have been issued in the EU. The EU COVID-19 digital certificate has set a global standard: to date, 60 countries and territories on five continents have joined the system.

The validity period takes into account, says the EC, the guidelines of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, according to which booster doses are recommended no later than six months after the end of the first vaccination cycle.

The certificate will remain valid for an additional three-month grace period beyond the six months, to ensure that national vaccination campaigns can adapt and that citizens have access to booster doses.

The new rules on the period of acceptance of vaccination certificates apply to travel purposes. Where the Member States introduce different rules for the use of certificates at the national level, they are encouraged to align them with these new rules in order to ensure the safety of travelers and reduce disruption.

In addition, the Commission has also adapted the rules for encoding vaccination certificates, with a view to ensuring that vaccination certificates indicating the completion of the primary series can always be distinguished from vaccination certificates issued after a booster dose.