Are there countries that allow tourists to obtain the EU vaccination certificate?

Question

The Czech page on obtaining the EU vaccination certificate based on a non-EU vaccination mentions that only Czech and EU citizens are eligible for now. So i.e. if you're an American tourist (without dual citizenship) traveling to Prague with your CDC vaccine card, you would not be eligible for an EU vaccine certificate. This will make travel a bit inconvenient as you'll be forced to get tested frequently, as this is the only official alternative if you don't have a valid certificate of vaccination and want to visit things like restaurants and museums.

But are there countries which are more open minded and will issue the certificate to anyone who applies? Ideally without ever having to travel there physically? This way you could obtain the EU vaccine passport remotely from (say) Estonia and then use it in every other EU country during your travels.

For Germany: https://travel.stackexchange.com/a/166761/95267 — Mark Johnson, Jul 15 '21 at 22:14
@MarkJohnson thanks, a good option, but sadly a physical visit is required. Hoping for a purely online option. — JonathanReez, Jul 15 '21 at 22:15
@MarkJohnson it’s kind of funny that you need physical attendance to get a digital certificate :) — JonathanReez, Jul 16 '21 at 00:29
I'm also not sure why they called it a digital certificate, it's more like a machine-readable certificate. It's a piece of paper with a QR code on it. — PhilippNagel, Jul 16 '21 at 02:36
@PhilippNagel The reason for the name is very simple: it contains a secure digital signature to protect it against falsification. — Mark Johnson, Jul 16 '21 at 03:53
@MarkJohnson I fail to see the point. The certificate can easily be copied or transferred and contains very little identifying information (basically what's already on the CDC certificate). You need to check the person's identity when they use the certificate, not when you issue it. — Relaxed, Jul 16 '21 at 07:26
(+1) For reference: Regulation 2021/953 contain some provisions to allow something like that (cf. article 8). — Relaxed, Jul 16 '21 at 07:30
@MarkJohnson No it is not. The identity of the person requesting an EU vaccination certificate based on a foreign certificate is irrelevant. There is no breech in security or trust if the transfer is not done in person. — Tor-Einar Jarnbjo, Jul 16 '21 at 09:42
@Tor-EinarJarnbjo Suggested reading (since you supplied no source for your claim): How to get the EU COVID VAX Digital Certificate in Germany | Article | The United States Army: Step 2: Required Documentation 1) CDC vaccine card 2) Photo ID (Note: This can be a passport, DoD ID or U.S. driver’s license – ensure that the ID displays the individual’s CDC Card identification number and date of birth)... — Mark Johnson, Jul 16 '21 at 10:12
@MarkJohnson What you are linking to is not a contradiction of what I wrote. Did you even try to understand it? That members of the US army need to present a photo id when getting their CDC vaccination card transferred in Germany can havy many other reasons. I can't present a source for the non-existence of something. If you claim that it is not possible to securely transfer a vaccination certificate without personal presence, then you must explain how that could be exploited. — Tor-Einar Jarnbjo, Jul 16 '21 at 11:59
@Mark the EU vaccine certificate does not function as an ID card. It’s supposed to be checked along with a valid piece of photo ID so who requests one is of absolutely zero relevance. — JonathanReez, Jul 16 '21 at 16:00
We (merkins) reject the measurement systems the rest of the world uses. Our banks can't handle IBAN. No surprise we also refuse to use the rest of the world's vaccination format. :-( — WGroleau, Jul 16 '21 at 19:06
The headline question mention residence, the body focuses on citizenship. I assume the intent is to ask about options for non-resident third-country nationals but maybe this could be made clearer? — Relaxed, Aug 07 '21 at 16:41

score 14 · Accepted Answer · edited Nov 04 '21 at 09:52

14

Starting a community wiki question to track down whether at least one country allows this.

TL;DR Easiest to do in Switzerland

Austria

Seems to be possible but requires an in-person visit to a doctor/pharmacy

Belgium

Only possible for Belgian residents

Bulgaria

(no info in English, need a Bulgarian speaker)

Croatia

(no info in English, need a Croatian speaker)

Cyprus

(no info in English, need a Greek speaker)

Czechia

Only available to citizens or local residents

Denmark

Danish residents only

Estonia

(no info in English, need an Estonian speaker)

Finland

Not available yet even for residents

France

~~Now open to French citizens who got a vaccine outside the EU, no matter where they reside, and to tourists who are already in France or the EU or who plan to arrive soon.~~

EDIT: France is no longer issuing certificates online.

Germany

Seems to be possible but physical presence is required

if the doctor or pharmacist is presented with vaccination documentation on a vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and they apply suitable measures to avoid issuing an incorrect COVID-19-Vaccination certificate, in particular to verify the identity of the vaccinated person and the authenticity of the vaccination documentation.

Greece

(no info in English, need a Greek speaker)

Hungary

(no info in English, need a Hungarian speaker)

Iceland

(no info in English, need an Icelandic speaker)

Italy

Italian Citizens vaccinated or recovered from COVID abroad can register with a local health agency in Italy to receive a green pass. This is available even for non-residents, and can be done remotely with some health agencies.

Ireland

Doesn't seem to be possible yet

Latvia

(no info in English, need a Latvian speaker)

Lithuania

Local residents only (requires local sign in to be activated)

Luxembourg

Doesn't seem to be available

Malta

Doesn't seem to issue EU certificates yet?

Netherlands

Citizens/local residents only and requires an in-person visit to Utrecht (see e.g. “Ik ben gevaccineerd in een niet-EU-land. En ik heb daar bewijs van.”)

Romania

(no info in English, need a Romanian speaker)

Slovakia

Local residents only

Slovenia

(no info in English, need a Slovenian speaker)

Spain

Citizens/local residents only

Sweden

Local vaccines only

Switzerland

For a CHF 30 fee, tourists vaccinated with an EMA-approved vaccine and intending to visit Switzerland can apply for a Swiss COVID certificate online. This certificate is compatible with the EUDCC and should be usable throughout the EU.

edited Nov 04 '21 at 09:52

Bernard

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answered Jul 16 '21 at 21:48

JonathanReez

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@mgrande465 Unfortunately that link doesn’t open for me. Could you expand on how the procedure works in Italy? – JonathanReez Aug 07 '21 at 16:30
@JonathanReez fixed the link. It really depends on where you are, and I'm struggling myself to gain my green pass through the system. I live in Bologna, so I went to my local AUSL office (health authority) and asked them to register it. They told me to email my certificate to an email along with ID. I did so and I still haven't gotten anything back. I'll be going back on Monday to see what the hold up is. I'll update then. Nothing like Italian bureaucracy! The local health authority changes on where you are, and every city/region will have a different way of doing it, unfortunately. – mgrande465 Aug 07 '21 at 17:18
@mgrande465 hm... you know what, let me try to email a couple dozen Italian health authority to see if I can get at least one to issue me a COVID pass remotely. Will report back later. Could be the ultimate solution for a remote COVID pass. – JonathanReez Aug 07 '21 at 17:44
Starting a chat thread for discussions that are too long for comments. – JonathanReez Aug 07 '21 at 17:45
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I don't have the time to check every Swiss cantonal rules. Geneva and Zurich all explicitly require Swiss residence and corresponding documents. Vaud did not explicitly say anything but asks for a Swiss address so a proof may be required. – xngtng Aug 07 '21 at 22:34
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Does the French process grant you a France-specific vaccine certificate, or does it grant you the EU vaccine passport? The distinction is crucial and I'm having a really hard time finding information about it – forresthopkinsa Sep 01 '21 at 08:52
@forresthopkinsa I got a certificate from France because I recently moved to Geneva, and Geneva does not give certificates for people vaccinated with the Johnson and Johnson/Janssen vaccine, which I was. I have used this certificate in Geneva several times, so it is clearly interoperable with the EU system. (On closer inspection, it seems that Geneva now does issue certificates for the J&J vaccine, but formerly it did not.) – phoog Sep 29 '21 at 18:15
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In Italy this is not restricted to citizens only, but also to those registered with the Italian healthcare system: typically this covers permanent residents and people who have a job in Italy. Source: your link, which mentions "e tutti i soggetti iscritti a qualunque titolo al Servizio Sanitario Nazionale". – Federico Poloni Oct 11 '21 at 08:02
In Hungary: I went to the nearest Kormanyablak with my printed vaccination certificate from Uzbekistan and filled the form which they provided. The next day, they sent EU digital COVID certificate to my e-mail. – Joe Rakhimov Oct 13 '21 at 08:30
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FYI, the france one is now seemingly closed for Non EU Citizens :(
it says: 'This procedure has been closed, it is no longer possible to submit a file."
– Pratik Bothra Nov 01 '21 at 17:48
@Relaxed do you know of any alternatives now that the French scheme is shut down? – JonathanReez Nov 01 '21 at 20:14
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@JonathanReez The Swiss now have an online system for tourists to apply for an EUDCC, for a CHF 30 fee. – Bernard Nov 02 '21 at 06:14
I think you can still get it from France but only after going to a select pharmacy (only 5 supported in Paris), and I'd rather have it in hand before I get to Europe. – Pratik Bothra Nov 02 '21 at 07:13
@JonathanReez for Romania only citizens and resident foreigners can request digital vaccination certificates; if they haven't been vaccinated in Romania, but it was a vaccine authorized in Romania, they can submit the foreign certificate and passport by email to be added in the national database. For digital test certificates (PCR / rapid antigen) anyone can issue certificates if the test was done in Romania in an authorized laboratory. Source: https://certificat-covid.gov.ro/guides – CMircea Nov 04 '21 at 10:49
There are now increasingly many non-EU (and even non-European) countries that have joined the EUDCC system, and if you are from one of those countries, your local certificate is already an EUDCC. Singapore and Togo were added today. – Bernard Nov 24 '21 at 12:44

Mark Johnson · Answer 2 · 2021-07-19T18:43:01.567

In Germany it won't be possible to remotely issue a EU Digital COVID Certificate.

The conditions underwhich a EU Digital COVID Certificate may issued are defined in section 22(5) of the German Infection Protection Act (IfSG).

Retrospectively, they may be issued only by any doctor or pharmacist who must apply suitable measures to avoid issuing an incorrect COVID-19-Vaccination certificate, in particular to verify the identity of the vaccinated person and the authenticity of the vaccination documentation.

Today I recieved the second vaccination and meantioned to my doctor that the date of the first vaccination was not correct (the shot was on Monday, the date was Sunday when they were closed). This image shows how it was corrected:

Afterwhich I went to the Apotheke to get the EU Digital COVID Certificate.

The name used on the ID card was used, ignoring what was written on the International Certificate of Vaccination (which in my case didn't contain my middle name). This insures that when the certificate is later compared with my ID, that both will match.

A print out for each vaccination was then handed out.

I also requested that the original PDF of the Certificate be sent to my eMail address, which arrived soon after as one file.

Using the PDF, the QR-Codes (for each vaccination) was swiftly read into the applications that needed them.

§ 22 Absatz 5 Infektionsschutzgesetz - IfSG
(5) Zusätzlich zu der Impfdokumentation ist auf Wunsch der geimpften Person die Durchführung einer Schutzimpfung gegen das Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in einem digitalen Zertifikat (COVID-19-Impfzertifikat) durch folgende Personen zu bescheinigen:

durch die zur Durchführung der Schutzimpfung berechtigte Person oder

nachträglich von jedem Arzt oder Apotheker.

Die Verpflichtung nach Satz 1 Nummer 2 besteht nur, wenn dem Arzt oder Apotheker eine Impfdokumentation über eine Schutzimpfung gegen das Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 vorgelegt wird und er sich zum Nachtrag unter Verwendung geeigneter Maßnahmen zur Vermeidung der Ausstellung eines unrichtigen COVID-19-Impfzertifikats, insbesondere, um die Identität der geimpften Person und die Authentizität der Impfdokumentation nachzuprüfen, bereit erklärt hat. Zur Erstellung des COVID-19-Impfzertifikats übermittelt die zur Bescheinigung der Schutzimpfung gegen das Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 verpflichtete Person die in Absatz 2 Satz 1 und Absatz 4 genannten personenbezogenen Daten an das Robert Koch-Institut, das das COVID-19-Impfzertifikat technisch generiert. Das Robert Koch-Institut ist befugt, die zur Erstellung und Bescheinigung des COVID-19-Impfzertifikats erforderlichen personenbezogenen Daten zu verarbeiten.

(5) In addition to the vaccination documentation, if the vaccinated person so wishes, the vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus must be certified in a digital certificate (COVID-19 vaccination certificate) by the following persons:

by the person authorized to carry out the vaccination or

retrospectively by any doctor or pharmacist.

The obligation according to sentence 1 number 2 only exists if the doctor or pharmacist is presented with vaccination documentation on a vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and they apply suitable measures to avoid issuing an incorrect COVID-19-Vaccination certificate, in particular to verify the identity of the vaccinated person and the authenticity of the vaccination documentation. In order to create the COVID-19 vaccination certificate, the person obliged to certify the vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus transmits the personal data mentioned in paragraph 2 sentence 1 and paragraph 4 to the Robert Koch Institute, which has the COVID-19 vaccination certificate technically generated. The Robert Koch Institute is authorized to process the personal data required to create and certify the COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

Regulation (EU) 2021/953 - EU Digital COVID Certificate
- Article 3
EU Digital COVID Certificate
...
2. Member States, or designated bodies acting on behalf of Member States, shall issue the certificates referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article in a digital or paper-based format, or both. The prospective holders shall be entitled to receive the certificates in the format of their choice.
...
- Article 8
COVID-19 certificates and other documentation issued by a third country
1. Where a vaccination certificate has been issued in a third country for a COVID-19 vaccine that corresponds to one of the COVID-19 vaccines referred to Article 5(5) and the authorities of a Member State have been provided with all the necessary information, including reliable proof of vaccination, those authorities may, upon request, issue a vaccination certificate as referred to in point (a) of Article 3(1) to the person concerned. A Member State shall not be required to issue a vaccination certificate for a COVID-19 vaccine that is not authorised for use on its territory.
...