EU Agrees on Digital Green Certificate to Revive Travel

The European Union (EU) has agreed on a digital vaccine passport policy called the Digital Green Certificate. From July 1st, all EU citizens and residents, as well as certain categories of travelers, were able to request a COVID-19 vaccination certificate. The main motive behind this decision is to restore the freedom of travel that has stood still since the onset of the pandemic. With the certificate, tourists can bypass travel restrictions such as entry bans, quarantine obligations, and testing.

“When traveling, every Digital Green Certificate holder will have the same rights as citizens of the visited Member State who have been vaccinated, tested or recovered,” said the EU Commission.

The three types of EU’s COVID-19 passport include a vaccination passport, a test certificate, and a recovery certificate. Travelers will get a one-page document issued in digital and printable format, which they must present to border guards. Each certificate will contain a unique machine-readable QR code and a digital signature through which it can verify the authenticity, integrity, and validity of the certificate.

A Milestone for Pan-European Digitalization?

Besides the fact that it allows people to travel again, the vaccine passport requirements bring other great benefits for the European governments and their people. Firstly, this policy is for all EU members, and other countries can learn a lot from it to help their citizens travel more safely. The rebound of the travel industry creates a win-win situation for the whole continent which needs tourists to raise revenue and then balance their deficit budget.
Secondly, this is a chance for the union to implement a digital solution that might be promising for other issues such as security and health conditions. If the new decree is the start of more European digitalization projects, then it signals a positive development for the whole continent. Moreover, creating pan-European digital solutions is promising if all countries can see eye to eye.

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