FLASHLEGAL | EU Covid Digital Certificate

Law-Decree No. 54-A/2021, 25 June 2021.

It implements in the internal legal order the Regulation (EU) 2021/953, concerning the EU COVID Digital Certificate, in view of facilitating safe and free movement of citizens in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting the non-applicability of additional measures and restrictions imposed by the country of destination when traveling.

This Law-Decree has been in force since June 26^th, being the use of the EU COVID Digital Certificate in matters of air and maritime traffic, circulation in national territory and access to cultural, sports, corporate or family events entered into force on July 1^st.

Get to know the rules:

What is the EU COVID Digital Certificate?

The EU COVID Digital Certificate is a digital document that contains information about the holder's vaccination, test result or recover, which will constitute proof that an EU person:

• was vaccinated against COVID-19, OR
• received a negative result in a test, OR
• recovered from COVID-19

What is this EU COVID Digital Certificate for?

It is intended to facilitate safe and free movement of citizens in the European Union during the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting the non-applicability of additional measures and restrictions imposed by the destination country during a trip, including testing and quarantine/mandatory prophylactic isolation procedures, required on arrival in the country of destination.

What types of certificates are included in the EU COVID Digital Certificate?

It comprises three types of certificates:

• Vaccination certificates: proves that the person has been vaccinated against COVID-19.
• Test certificates: proves that one has a negative result in the  Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests (NAATs) - RT-PCR RT-PCR in real time, Molecular Rapid Tests - to identify SARS coronavirus-2.
• Recovery Certificates: proves that the person has had COVID-19, but has already recovered from the disease.

Is the vaccination certificate valid with any COVID-19 vaccine brand?

The issuance of vaccination certificates is currently available for vaccines against COVID-19 that have been approved for use in the European Union, following a favorable opinion from the European Medicines Agency.

Can people who were vaccinated before the creation of the EU Digital Certificate get it?

Yes, they will be able to obtain their vaccination certificate.

Can a vaccination certificate be issued to people who have only had the first dose?

Yes, the certificate can be issued following the administration of each dose, according to the vaccination schedule established for each vaccine against COVID-19.

In what situations may the EU Digital Certificate be used?

The presentation of the certificate allows travel to Portugal and to any Member State of the EU, as well as free movement within the national territory, regardless of the rules for the prevention, containment and mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic in circulation that might be in effect.

It also allows, as an alternative to the requirement to carry out the screening test, access to cultural, sporting, corporate or family events, namely weddings and baptisms.

Who issues the EU COVID Digital Certificate?

National authorities are responsible for issuing the certificate. The issue of EU COVID Digital Certificate in Portugal is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health.

Is the EU COVID Digital Certificate mandatory for travel?

The EU COVID Digital Certificate is optional, facilitating freedom of movement across the European Union (a fundamental right in the EU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Citizens who do not have or choose not to request the issuance of this document may continue to travel, but may be subject to additional measures, such as testing procedures and mandatory quarantine/prophylactic isolation, upon arrival in the destination country.

In which countries can the EU COVID Digital Certificate be used?

It may be used in all EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Who can apply for the EU COVID Digital Certificate?

Citizens with a National Health Service (SNS) User number can apply for the EU COVID Digital Certificate.

What information is contained in the EU COVID Digital Certificate?

The EU COVID Digital Certificate contains essential necessary information, such as name, date of birth, date of issue, relevant information about the vaccine/test/recovery and a unique identifier. These data remain in the certificate and are not stored or retained when the certificate is verified in another Member State.

Certificates include only a limited set of necessary information. Information cannot be kept by the countries visited. 

For the purpose of verification, only the validity and authenticity of the certificate are inspected, verifying who issued and signed it. All health data remains in the Member State that issued the EU COVID Digital Certificate.

When can one get the EU COVID Digital Certificate for travel?

The adoption of the EU COVID Digital Certificate will allow EU citizens who have already been vaccinated, recovered from an infection or tested, to travel without restrictions within the European Union from July 1 on.

Where and how to get the EU COVID Digital Certificate?

The EU COVID Digital Certificate can be obtained on the NHS24 portal, through a mobile application or it may be sent to the email address of the holder registered in the National User Registry or in the Electronic Health Registry. 

EU COVID digital certificates can be presented in digital or paper format. 

A single-use access code will be provided, that is, for each time you want to access the certificate, the SNS 24 portal will have to generate a new code.

The digital version of the certificate can be stored on a mobile device. Citizens can also request a paper version. Both versions will have a QR code that contains essential information, as well as a digital signature, to guarantee the authenticity of the certificate.

Member States agreed on a common template, which can be used in both electronic and paper versions, to facilitate recognition.

How does the EU COVID Digital Certificate work?

The EU COVID Digital Certificate integrates a QR code with a digital signature to prevent counterfeiting.

Upon inspection of the certificate, the QR code is scanned and the signature verified.

When can one access the EU COVID Digital Certificate?

The EU COVID Digital Certificate will be available for consultation after it has been issued.

How much does the EU COVID Digital Certificate cost?

It is free.

What language is the EU COVID Digital Certificate issued in?

The information contained in the certificate must be written in Portuguese and English.