The European Commission established in nine months, after a first complete vaccination, the duration of the validity of the vaccination certificate against COVID-19 for those traveling within the European Union (EU), with the aim of encouraging booster doses.
This measure, which will be binding on the 27 members of the bloc, will enter into force on February 1, unless a qualified majority of Member States or a majority of MEPs oppose.
The duration of validity of these certificates, established in 270 days, “give citizens and businesses the certainty they need to plan their trips with confidence”, Estimated the European Commissioner Didier Reynders, in charge of the matter.
Although the EU regulate the use of this document in the framework of trips within the block, its use by the Member States for other purposes (access to restaurants, concerts or other events) corresponds to national legislation.
The EU last summer activated a common COVID certificate – which proves a vaccination, a COVID-19 infection of less than six months, or a negative test – to allow Europeans to travel between member countries as freely as possible.
But the emergence of the omicron variant led seven countries in the bloc (Portugal, Ireland, Cyprus, Latvia, Italy, Greece and Austria) to introduce new emergency restrictions and require European travelers, even vaccinated, to present a negative test for enter their territory.
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