There’s been much talk about vaccine passports lately, especially how they would apply to people medically unable to vaccinate. And also those who have value systems that prevent them doing so. We turn our attention to the European Union COVID-19 vaccine passport coming on line. Because this could point in the direction other governments may follow.
A Way to Restore Free Travel Within the Union
The ‘closer and closer’ policy previously allowed European Union citizens to travel freely in the shared zone. However, the coronavirus has restricted movement by requiring isolation on crossing borders.
By April, 2020 there was already talk of mandating vaccines for anybody wanting to travel in the area. By June, 2021 Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia and Poland were implementing an alpha European Union COVID-19 vaccine passport system.
This then opened the question of how best to evidence vaccination on a European Union-wide basis. All member states except Ireland have approved a common document in a bid to restore travel between them. Ireland will follow when it is over a technical issue.
How the European Union COVID-19 Vaccine Passport Will Roll Out
European member states will make the passport available to their qualifying citizens in paper format, or on their phones. These will evidence full vaccinations, tests and recoveries on a holder-by-holder basis. They will then be able to travel according to Union rules in place at the time.
This travel will no longer require tests or quarantines within the Union. However, member states will have the right to impose additional restrictions, where states have high COVID-19 rates.
We hope this goes some way towards reinvigorating the local travel industry. Many small hotels and restaurants in Europe are family-owned. Those families are under increasing financial pressure. Many would have no regular income were their businesses to close.
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Preview Image: EU COVID-19 Certificate
