Greek Digital Covid Certificate for Travel now activated
COVID-19
01 Jun 2021
/ 14:49
ATHENS. Greece is joining the first wave of European countries issuing their own Digital COVID Certificates and it can be implemented in cooperation with other countries that now accept it.
Greece’s digital certificate is available from today, aiming to facilitate the free movement of EU citizens.
Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced at a Cabinet meeting on Monday that Greece is part of the first wave of European countries beginning to issue their own Digital COVID Certificates.
How the European Digital Covid Certificate will operate
The European Digital Covid Certificate will be valid in all EU member states plus Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein. It will allow the present restrictions to be lifted as the authorities in all countries will be able to confirm that the holder has been vaccinated against Covid-19 or has a negative test result or has recovered from the virus.
You can obtain the certificate if one of the following applies:
- You have been fully vaccinated
- You have recovered from the infection following a positive test
- You have had a negative result from a PCR or rapid antigen test
For the certificate to be issued you need an ID Card or a valid passport.
You will also need your Taxisnet password and your AMKA.
Main features of the certificate
- It is available in digital and/or printed form
- It is secure and contains a QR code
- It is available in English
What form is it in and who can issue it and how?
The Digital COVID Certificate will be free of charge, available for printing on paper or for downloading in digital format and issued in English and Greek. It will contain a unique identification number and QR code with a digital signature aimed at protecting from forgery. The national authorities in each country are responsible for issuing the certificate. In Greece the European Digital Covid Certificate will initially be issued via the gov.gr platform and will shortly be available at KEP offices as well.
How will its authenticity be checked?
The QR codes will be verified on the European Commission’s EU Gateway portal. The personal data of the holder will not be seen on the gateway as this is not necessary for validation of the digital signature.
When will it be implemented?
EU authorities have decided that the European Digital Covid Certificate will be valid from 1 July in the EU. In the meantime, Greece is already ready and citizens can use it to travel to any European countries that now accept it.
Does this mean I can't travel without the certificate?
The aim of the certificate is to facilitate the free movement of citizens within the EU. It will not be a prerequisite for free movement, which is a fundamental right in the EU. However, only the Digital Covid Certificate will guarantee that one can cross internal EU borders without additional requirements (such as quarantine upon arrival), as it will be accepted by all member states.
What personal data will be included?
In order to protect personal data the European Digital Covid Certificate will only contain basic and necessary information such as name, date of birth, date of issue, information regarding vaccination / tests / recovery and a unique identification code.
The European Digital Covid Certificate is issued here.
Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced at a Cabinet meeting on Monday that Greece is part of the first wave of European countries beginning to issue their own Digital COVID Certificates.
The certificate can be used by travellers as proof that they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have a negative test result or have recovered from the virus.
The aim of the certificate is to facilitate the free movement of EU citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic. Residents of Greece will be able to get their Digital COVID Certificate on the gov.gr website logging in with their tax number (AFM) or social security number (AMKA).How the European Digital Covid Certificate will operate
The European Digital Covid Certificate will be valid in all EU member states plus Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein. It will allow the present restrictions to be lifted as the authorities in all countries will be able to confirm that the holder has been vaccinated against Covid-19 or has a negative test result or has recovered from the virus.
You can obtain the certificate if one of the following applies:
- You have been fully vaccinated
- You have recovered from the infection following a positive test
- You have had a negative result from a PCR or rapid antigen test
For the certificate to be issued you need an ID Card or a valid passport.
You will also need your Taxisnet password and your AMKA.
Main features of the certificate
- It is available in digital and/or printed form
- It is secure and contains a QR code
- It is available in English
What form is it in and who can issue it and how?
The Digital COVID Certificate will be free of charge, available for printing on paper or for downloading in digital format and issued in English and Greek. It will contain a unique identification number and QR code with a digital signature aimed at protecting from forgery. The national authorities in each country are responsible for issuing the certificate. In Greece the European Digital Covid Certificate will initially be issued via the gov.gr platform and will shortly be available at KEP offices as well.
How will its authenticity be checked?
The QR codes will be verified on the European Commission’s EU Gateway portal. The personal data of the holder will not be seen on the gateway as this is not necessary for validation of the digital signature.
When will it be implemented?
EU authorities have decided that the European Digital Covid Certificate will be valid from 1 July in the EU. In the meantime, Greece is already ready and citizens can use it to travel to any European countries that now accept it.
Does this mean I can't travel without the certificate?
The aim of the certificate is to facilitate the free movement of citizens within the EU. It will not be a prerequisite for free movement, which is a fundamental right in the EU. However, only the Digital Covid Certificate will guarantee that one can cross internal EU borders without additional requirements (such as quarantine upon arrival), as it will be accepted by all member states.
What personal data will be included?
In order to protect personal data the European Digital Covid Certificate will only contain basic and necessary information such as name, date of birth, date of issue, information regarding vaccination / tests / recovery and a unique identification code.
The European Digital Covid Certificate is issued here.
