Estonia among first to join EU's digital covid-19 vaccination passport

Estonia will be among the first countries to join the European Union's digital covid-19 vaccination passport know as the "digital green certificate".
"In the first half of June, Estonia and the first EU member states will have three EU-wide digital COVID certificates valid throughout the EU: an immunization certificate, a negative test certificate, a COVID-19 pass certificate," said the Ministry of Social Affairs' e-services development and innovation advisor Aurora Ursula Joala.
Joala said the three certificates will be separate and can be verified through QR codes.
Proof of immunization can be generated after each vaccine and the travel certificate be created 11 days from the first positive PCR covid test and is valid for 180 days. The negative test certificate can be created from a test result taken up to 14 days ago.
"With this certificate, we create an opportunity for a person to prove a negative test result. However, when traveling, it is mostly required that the test be taken immediately before the trip," Joala said.
The EU's legal framework for the digital green certificate will be discussed at the next plenary session which is held from June 7-10 and will then enter into force on July 1.
Estonia tested its compatibility with the so-called EU Gateway system on May 20, and Keit Kasemets, head of the European Commission Representation in Estonia, said the test was successful.
The Ministry of Social Affairs said 30 EU and EEA countries are ready to join the EU Gateway by mid-June or the end of June.
Estonia is not planning to create agreements with countries outside of the EU's gateway framework which would allow mutual recognition of evidence even without the EU system.
So far vaccinated citizens in Estonia have only been able to generate vaccination certificates, but in the first half of June testing information will also be added to the digital certificate.
People who have already created their own vaccination certificate can create a new certificate in accordance with European Union standards on the Patient Portal.
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Editor: Helen Wright