Denmark has introduced a requirement for documentation of Covid-19 immunity in the form of a so-called ‘coronapas’ (corona passport) for customers at certain service industry businesses.

The use of the passports while be further expanded as the country continues its schedule for lifting coronavirus restrictions over the coming weeks. Corona passports play a key role in the rules authorities will put in place to facilitate reopening.

Starting on Tuesday, the passports will be required for people wanting to go to hairdressers, and for when outdoor service of food and drinks resumes on April 21st. They will then be needed at restaurants which are scheduled to open on May 6th and then a slew of other activities when most businesses will be allowed to reopen on May 21st.

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What does a Danish corona passport show?

The ‘corona passport’ certifies that the holder has had a negative test in the last 72 hours, a vaccination or has recently recovered from Covid-19, conferring immunity to the disease.

Paper certificates can also be given distributed to vaccinated people or those who have tested negative but do not have a smartphone. 

If you are using the passport to show you have been vaccinated, you will be able to use it from two weeks after the date of your final vaccination dose (the second dose for all types currently used in Denmark; the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which will be used from this month, requires only one dose).

Recent negative tests must have been taken within the last 72 hours. Both PCR tests and rapid (antigen) tests are valid.

If you have recovered from coronavirus within the last three months, you may also be able to use this as a valid corona passport. A positive test taken within the last 2-12 weeks is considered valid documentation. If your positive result came via a rapid test, health authorities recommend you take a subsequent PCR test to confirm the result.

Where do I get the corona passport?

There are currently three options here: the MinSundhed app; the public health website sundhed.dk or; if you are exempted from using digital public services, a physical passport sent in the mail.

It should be noted that the current two digital platforms will eventually be replaced by a new dedicated technology for corona passports, scheduled to be introduced in late May.

The MinSundhed app can be downloaded from either Google Play or the App Store. You then log in to the app using the secure digital ID system used in Denmark, NemID.

Once logged in, you will be able to select “Coronapas” for the vaccine passport; or “Se dine Covdid-19 svar” for test results. Here either a positive or negative previous test may be the appropriate documentation, depending on the date of the test. The test date is displayed as “Prøvetagningstidspunkt” once you select the test you want to use as documentation.

If you do not have or do not want to use the app, you can log in, download and print (physically or as a pdf file) both vaccine documentation and test results via sundhed.dk. The website requires you to log in using your NemID, which can be done on a smart phone, tablet or computer.

It is also permissible to use rapid test results which have been sent to you by private operators as corona passports.

Non-digital corona passports are available for people who are exempted from using digital public services requiring NemID. In these cases, people who are already fully vaccinated will be sent paper corona passports by post from April 9th, and others will receive them when they complete vaccination.

Danish authorities also say that physical documentation of PCR tests is in development and that rapid test providers will soon be required to offer it if they do not already do so.

An additional option is to give a carer or loved one power of attorney to access vaccination and test documentation via sundhed.dk.

Who can be exempted from using a corona passport?

Children under the age of 15 and persons who are unable to take Covid-19 tests for medical reasons or who are otherwise advised not to take them are not required to show corona passports to use the services listed above.

Can it be used for travel?

Not universally. But Danish authorities have said that it is their “clear expectation” that the passports will at some point be used to help facilitate foreign travel, initially to other EU countries and then the rest of the world.

However, the existing documentation options on the MinSundhed and sundhed.dk platforms can be used as valid forms of documentation if needed when travelling, according to official information.

Is the corona passport here to stay?

Use of corona passports was introduced in last month’s plan, announced after an agreement was reached between the minority government and a broad section of parliament. The agreement includes a sundown clause on the corona passports.

That means that they can no longer be required (apart from in relation to travel and tourism) when everyone in Denmark has been vaccinated (or been offered a vaccine for those who decline it). That is likely to be by late July this year, according to the current vaccination calendar. The sundown clause has been set for August 2021.