A SINGLE-DOSE vaccine against Covid-19 created by Janssen will be in use throughout the European Union from April 19, and Spain is set to get enough for 40 million jabs.
EU 'Covid passports' now available online in all Spain's regions: How to get yours
17/07/2021
VACCINE certificates or 'Covid passports' recognised throughout the European Union for travel can now be obtained from each and every regional health authority website, or in some cases, with a mobile phone App.
They are not typically handed out as a hard copy upon receipt of the final vaccine dose, and are generally not needed except when travelling, although in theory, a digital copy requested can be kept 'on file' just in case.
For those who want to keep a paper copy, the important part is the QR code, which is scanned by airport or ferry port staff or at national borders to check its authenticity, and if the situation changes and certain circumstances nationally require sight of it – such as entering another region in the event that contagion rates spike in parts of the country and authorities of another want to see proof of vaccine, recovery from Covid or a negative PCR result, or a major public event, like a sports tournament, requires one of the three – it is expected that QR-code readers will be in place should this ever arise.
As yet, this is not the case and looks unlikely to occur.
For the moment, Spain is only asking to see a vaccine, 'recovery' or PCR-negative certificate, either a digital version – such as the one above on a phone, in the picture by the European Commission - or a paper copy with a QR code (as shown in the photo of Asturias' regional health authority website), for incoming travellers, including returning tourists.
In all other situations where a person needs to take a PCR test, such as for surgery, this will continue to apply even for those who have been fully immunised.
Naturally, for those entitled to use the State health service, where a medical procedure provided by this requires a PCR, the patient will not have to pay for it.
The European Union confirmed the launch of the 'Digital EU Covid Certificate' on July 1, and systems for applying for it have since gradually set up in member States.
According to the EU, the certificate is 'free of charge, safe, and accessible to all members of the population', is generated in the national language of the issuing member State as well as in English, is accepted throughout the EU, and 'fully respects fundamental rights including data protection'.
As well as the EU itself, where travel is permitted to EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein), it will also be accepted as proof of vaccine, recovery from Covid or of a negative PCR test, whichever is applicable.
Not yet valid for travel to UK
As yet, the UK is not accepting EU 'Covid passports' as proof of vaccination or recovery from the virus within the last 180 days, meaning travellers entering Britain from 'amber' countries still have to follow quarantine procedures and take three PCR tests, even if they are vaccinated and the requisite 14 days after the final dose have passed.
This is not the case for residents in England returning from a holiday in an 'amber' country and who have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to re-entry to their home region – the NHS inoculation certificate in paper format or on the NHS App are sufficient to allow them to get home from a trip to an 'amber' country without quarantine, starting from Monday, July 19.
At present, this does not seem to be the case for any other part of the UK besides England.
It means fully-immunised British nationals resident in an EU country on 'amber' and travelling to England for a visit will have to quarantine and follow the PCR procedures, since they have not been vaccinated by the NHS - even if they are in possession of an EU Covid vaccine certificate, as this is not recognised.
The UK's Department for Transport (DfT) denies 'discrimination' against British expats in the EU, and says it is 'exploring' the future acceptance of non-NHS vaccine documents for quarantine-free entry from 'amber' territories, which now includes the whole of Spain, including the formerly 'green' Balearic Islands.
DfT sources were unable to confirm what the situation was for residents in 'amber' countries travelling to UK regions such as the Channel Islands and Gibraltar for a non-work-related visit.
The vaccines in use in the UK are broadly the same as in the EU – mainly the AstraZeneca for the over-40s, and the Pfizer – and do not include any that have not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Most EU countries, including Spain, accept the NHS certificate and App for arriving British residents, although some member States only recognise the physical certificate.
Getting an EU Covid certificate, by region
The best way to reach the link to the correct page in your region is to search 'solicitar certificado Covid digital UE' ('request EU digital Covid certificate'), click on the result and follow the instructions.
For Andalucía, this is via https://www.sspa.juntadeandalucia.es/servicioandaluzdesalud/clicsalud/pages/portada.jsf, and for the Balearic Islands, Ibsalut.es/es/certificadocoviddigitalue with four different methods of obtaining the certificate described – via the health service portal, via the App for Android or iOS, attending a specified certificate-issue point in person, or requesting it by post – but in all cases, internet access is necessary.
For Catalunya, the certificate can be obtained via the App La Meva Salut ('My Health') or via the website – type in Lamevasalut.gencat.cat, then log in using a digital certificate or your username and password by clicking on Accedir or, if you do not have a password, click on the link at the top of the page, sol·licita l'alta, to request log-in details and sign up.
In the Murcia Region, obtaining a 'Covid passport' can be done in person at local GP clinics, or at the specialist area health offices if you're in Lorca or Cartagena, in all cases by prior appointment; otherwise, they can be requested online via Sede.carm.es/web/pagina?IDCONTENIDO=3585&IDTIPO=240 or, to save time, simply type in Sede.carm.es and, when the page loads, change the '11' to 3585 and the '180' to 240 in the address bar, which will take you straight to the right place.
For the Canary Islands, you need to go into the 'miHistoria' website, reached by typing in Gobiernodecanarias.org/dragoweb.
A digital certificate or a Cl@ve password is needed, or your health service portal username and password – the username being your national ID number, either your NIE or DNI – although it is not clear how to register and obtain a password.
Otherwise, the miHistoria mobile phone App can be used to obtain the EU Covid 'passport'.
The system for the Comunidad Valenciana is more user-friendly – go to Coronavirus.san.gva.es/es/certificado-digital-ue, and then click on the strip that appears in the middle of the page, Solicitar Certificado Covid Digital UE, which will take you to a page to fill in your name, SIP card number (healthcare card presented when using hospitals, GP clinics or collecting prescriptions) and its issue date if yours is a 'permanent' plastic version, plus your date of birth, type in the 'Captcha' code, and press 'Validar' ('Confirm').
Another procedure is via the health service App, GVA +Salut.
Related Topics
VACCINE certificates or 'Covid passports' recognised throughout the European Union for travel can now be obtained from each and every regional health authority website, or in some cases, with a mobile phone App.
They are not typically handed out as a hard copy upon receipt of the final vaccine dose, and are generally not needed except when travelling, although in theory, a digital copy requested can be kept 'on file' just in case.
For those who want to keep a paper copy, the important part is the QR code, which is scanned by airport or ferry port staff or at national borders to check its authenticity, and if the situation changes and certain circumstances nationally require sight of it – such as entering another region in the event that contagion rates spike in parts of the country and authorities of another want to see proof of vaccine, recovery from Covid or a negative PCR result, or a major public event, like a sports tournament, requires one of the three – it is expected that QR-code readers will be in place should this ever arise.
As yet, this is not the case and looks unlikely to occur.
For the moment, Spain is only asking to see a vaccine, 'recovery' or PCR-negative certificate, either a digital version – such as the one above on a phone, in the picture by the European Commission - or a paper copy with a QR code (as shown in the photo of Asturias' regional health authority website), for incoming travellers, including returning tourists.
In all other situations where a person needs to take a PCR test, such as for surgery, this will continue to apply even for those who have been fully immunised.
Naturally, for those entitled to use the State health service, where a medical procedure provided by this requires a PCR, the patient will not have to pay for it.
The European Union confirmed the launch of the 'Digital EU Covid Certificate' on July 1, and systems for applying for it have since gradually set up in member States.
According to the EU, the certificate is 'free of charge, safe, and accessible to all members of the population', is generated in the national language of the issuing member State as well as in English, is accepted throughout the EU, and 'fully respects fundamental rights including data protection'.
As well as the EU itself, where travel is permitted to EEA countries (Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and Liechtenstein), it will also be accepted as proof of vaccine, recovery from Covid or of a negative PCR test, whichever is applicable.
Not yet valid for travel to UK
As yet, the UK is not accepting EU 'Covid passports' as proof of vaccination or recovery from the virus within the last 180 days, meaning travellers entering Britain from 'amber' countries still have to follow quarantine procedures and take three PCR tests, even if they are vaccinated and the requisite 14 days after the final dose have passed.
This is not the case for residents in England returning from a holiday in an 'amber' country and who have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to re-entry to their home region – the NHS inoculation certificate in paper format or on the NHS App are sufficient to allow them to get home from a trip to an 'amber' country without quarantine, starting from Monday, July 19.
At present, this does not seem to be the case for any other part of the UK besides England.
It means fully-immunised British nationals resident in an EU country on 'amber' and travelling to England for a visit will have to quarantine and follow the PCR procedures, since they have not been vaccinated by the NHS - even if they are in possession of an EU Covid vaccine certificate, as this is not recognised.
The UK's Department for Transport (DfT) denies 'discrimination' against British expats in the EU, and says it is 'exploring' the future acceptance of non-NHS vaccine documents for quarantine-free entry from 'amber' territories, which now includes the whole of Spain, including the formerly 'green' Balearic Islands.
DfT sources were unable to confirm what the situation was for residents in 'amber' countries travelling to UK regions such as the Channel Islands and Gibraltar for a non-work-related visit.
The vaccines in use in the UK are broadly the same as in the EU – mainly the AstraZeneca for the over-40s, and the Pfizer – and do not include any that have not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Most EU countries, including Spain, accept the NHS certificate and App for arriving British residents, although some member States only recognise the physical certificate.
Getting an EU Covid certificate, by region
The best way to reach the link to the correct page in your region is to search 'solicitar certificado Covid digital UE' ('request EU digital Covid certificate'), click on the result and follow the instructions.
For Andalucía, this is via https://www.sspa.juntadeandalucia.es/servicioandaluzdesalud/clicsalud/pages/portada.jsf, and for the Balearic Islands, Ibsalut.es/es/certificadocoviddigitalue with four different methods of obtaining the certificate described – via the health service portal, via the App for Android or iOS, attending a specified certificate-issue point in person, or requesting it by post – but in all cases, internet access is necessary.
For Catalunya, the certificate can be obtained via the App La Meva Salut ('My Health') or via the website – type in Lamevasalut.gencat.cat, then log in using a digital certificate or your username and password by clicking on Accedir or, if you do not have a password, click on the link at the top of the page, sol·licita l'alta, to request log-in details and sign up.
In the Murcia Region, obtaining a 'Covid passport' can be done in person at local GP clinics, or at the specialist area health offices if you're in Lorca or Cartagena, in all cases by prior appointment; otherwise, they can be requested online via Sede.carm.es/web/pagina?IDCONTENIDO=3585&IDTIPO=240 or, to save time, simply type in Sede.carm.es and, when the page loads, change the '11' to 3585 and the '180' to 240 in the address bar, which will take you straight to the right place.
For the Canary Islands, you need to go into the 'miHistoria' website, reached by typing in Gobiernodecanarias.org/dragoweb.
A digital certificate or a Cl@ve password is needed, or your health service portal username and password – the username being your national ID number, either your NIE or DNI – although it is not clear how to register and obtain a password.
Otherwise, the miHistoria mobile phone App can be used to obtain the EU Covid 'passport'.
The system for the Comunidad Valenciana is more user-friendly – go to Coronavirus.san.gva.es/es/certificado-digital-ue, and then click on the strip that appears in the middle of the page, Solicitar Certificado Covid Digital UE, which will take you to a page to fill in your name, SIP card number (healthcare card presented when using hospitals, GP clinics or collecting prescriptions) and its issue date if yours is a 'permanent' plastic version, plus your date of birth, type in the 'Captcha' code, and press 'Validar' ('Confirm').
Another procedure is via the health service App, GVA +Salut.