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Current rules allow me to visit Germany as a fully vaccinated non-EU citizen as a tourist so long as I show my non-EU double vaccination certificate (with an EU approved vaccine) and so long as register on the German online COVID travel site.

So far so good. However the rules seem to say that for travel within Germany and also going to bars, stores, events etc. a digital EU COVID pass is necessary.

But the EU digital pass website does not seem to allow non EU citizens (e.g. tourists) to register even if they are vaccinated. So how do tourists travel around Germany right now?

Is it impossible? Or is there a way to get a special certificate (e.g. Switzerland issues one even to tourists for 30 CHF). Or are German restaurants and public transport accepting non-EU vaccination certificates?

What's the latest situation? Any tips?

winny
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curious_cat
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1 Answers1

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Simple: go to any pharmacy in Germany, and they can convert your non-EU proof of vaccination into a EU COVID pass QR code. This is a free service and most any pharmacy is happy to oblige if they're not slammed with actual customers.

This QR code can then either be printed and shown when needed (you don't actually need the app), or scanned in with any EU pass application, although there may be some hoops to jump through (eg. Germany's own app is region locked).

More details, oddly enough, at this US Army site: https://www.army.mil/article/247734/optional_how_to_get_the_eu_covid_vax_digital_certificate_in_germany

lambshaanxy
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  • With non-EU proof, I presume you mean they yellow international-standard booklet? – o.m. Feb 13 '22 at 18:30
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    @o.m. Why? It means an official-looking document stating the same information than you would find in the booklet (type and date of vaccination, signature and stamp from a medical institution) and things like the CDC card. Outside of yellow fever vaccination, the booklet is not that common. I know it's been used for Covid vaccination in Germany but in most countries it was rare or impossible to get your Covid vaccination registered in it. – Relaxed Feb 13 '22 at 20:04
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    @o.m. I'm not sure what the exact criteria are, but I have friends who have successfully gone through this process with a Singaporean vaccination certificate. – lambshaanxy Feb 14 '22 at 01:46
  • @Relaxed, there had been problems with forgeries, and supposedly the booklet is the international standard. No idea how a random rural pharmacy would react to foreign formats. – o.m. Feb 14 '22 at 05:12
  • @o.m. The International Certificate of Vaccination was created by the WHO for the very purpose if avoiding confusion when varification of vaccinations are internationaly required. The CDC card uses a similar design. – Mark Johnson Feb 14 '22 at 07:09
  • @o.m. The Apotheke can now check the vaccination lot numbers, so this could cause a problem if that number cannot be verified. – Mark Johnson Feb 14 '22 at 07:18
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    @o.m. Yes, there is a standard, which doesn't mean you can expect it to be widely used or that it makes sense to require it. On the other hand, I am sure that if you have one, it can be accepted as proof as well. I happen to have such a booklet (with earlier vaccinations, it wasn't possible to get my Covid vaccines registered in it), it's really light on security features. It's basically just a table where nurses enter an old school ink stamp and a hand signature. I would also be surprised if empty booklets were hard to come by, it's not a passport. – Relaxed Feb 14 '22 at 09:30
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    @Relaxed The yellow international-standard booklet is very common in Germany. It is how the Germans record all their childhood vaccinations, tetanus shots, etc (but not flu shots - happen too often to be worth recording). – Martin Bonner supports Monica Feb 14 '22 at 11:27
  • @MartinBonnersupportsMonica I know that, I alluded to it in my first comment. That's a requirement for foreign visitors, though. – Relaxed Feb 14 '22 at 15:25
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    I have done exactly this with my US vaccination card -- got QR codes and installed the German App on the phone to scan them in. Many places in Germany (December '21) really did not want to deal with foreign documents and insisted on QR code. First Pharmacy I tried was unwilling (US document is hand-written and does not have stickers), second did happily. – ahulpke Feb 14 '22 at 20:20