The Spanish President presents the Covid Digital Certificate approved by the EU
The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has presented the EU’s Covid Digital Certificate, which was agreed yesterday between the European Commission, the Council and the European Parliament, at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR).
“With the Digital Certificate, Spain will resume all its economic activities in a secure way and we will achieve mobility within the European Union this summer,” said Sánchez.
From 1 July
The President has clarified that this is not a passport, nor a travel document, nor is it a requirement for travel. “It is a mechanism that will facilitate mobility, as well as the arrival and transit of passengers, and that will be implemented from 1 July,” he specified.
The main features of the Digital Green Certificate are its simplicity and interoperability throughout the European Union, as well as its free and universal nature. Via QR code, it will provide information on whether the person travelling is vaccinated, has had the disease or has a negative PCR result. The Autonomous Communities will be responsible for issuing, stamping and delivering the certificates in electronic or paper format.
List of countries
The Ministerial Order allowing the entry of travellers from non-EU safe countries includes the following countries: Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Israel, South Korea, Thailand, Rwanda, China, as well as the UK and Japan.
All of them are now on the list of safe countries and, therefore, their travellers will not have to face health checks on arrival in Spain. “This is certainly great news,” said the president.
Furthermore, Sánchez explained, as of 7 June, tourists from all countries with which there is not full freedom of movement, which currently includes the United States, will be able to enter Spain, as long as they have a certificate of having received the full course of a vaccine authorised by the European Medicines Agency or the World Health Organisation.
As for EU Member States, travellers from safe European territories, those listed as green according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) classification, will not have to comply with health requirements on entry. Travellers coming from EU territories classified as orange, red and dark red according to the ECDC traffic light will be able to enter Spain with a PCR at origin or, as of 7 June, with the full course of vaccines authorised by the EMA or the WHO.
