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COVID-19 HEALTH PASS

‘Makes life easier’: What foreigners in Germany think about the new digital vaccine pass

Though some internationals faced issues downloading the CovPass app due to its Germany-only App Store settings, the verdict from The Local's readers is clear: a digital Covid vaccine pass could be our ticket to relaxed restrictions and greater freedom.

Published: 7 July 2021 17:44 CEST
Updated: 8 July 2021 08:54 CEST
'Makes life easier': What foreigners in Germany think about the new digital vaccine pass
Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Stefan Puchner

On June 10th this year, Germany launched its new CovPass app, enabling residents of the country to digitalise their vaccination pass in order to travel more easily around the EU.

READ ALSO: Germany launches new digital Covid health pass

At the time, the Health Ministry claimed the digital vaccination pass would be available to “anyone who wanted it” in pharmacies and GP’s offices by the end of June, offering a “simple, secure and paperless” way to provide proof of vaccination, test results or recovery from Covid-19.

But has the new app delivered on all these promises? And how easy has it been for foreigners to get hold of a digital pass from a local pharmacy – especially if they were vaccinated abroad?

We set out to discover more in a short survey on the new CovPass.

Here’s what our readers had to say.

More than half ‘all set’ with digital vaccine pass 

Of the 75 respondents to the survey, 56 percent said they were fully vaccinated and had already got their digital vaccine pass at the time of filling in the survey.

Meanwhile, 21.3 percent said they weren’t quite fully vaccinated, but intended to get the digital CovPass as soon as they were. Around 15 percent of people had struggled to get the pass, while a small proportion said they had no plans to get vaccinated.

Easy to get and to use – but some problems with foreign vaccine certificates 

The general consensus among respondents who had secured their vaccine pass in the CovPass app was that the process for obtaining one was pretty straightforward.
 
“Easy to go to the chemist with your vaccine pass, get QR, open the app and scan it,” said 73-year-old Teresa Ann Moore.
 
Aaldert Oosthuizen, 47, who lives in Munich, also described the app as “easy to get and to use”.
 
“It’s very easy and intuitive,” agreed 24-year-old Nicolas Moreira, who lives in Darmstadt.
 
Several people who had been vaccinated abroad reported that they had been able to get their digital vaccine certificate without any major hurdles.
 
“After reading an article on The Local which recommended trying multiple pharmacies if the first one refuses, I decided to try my luck and had no problem at all getting approved with my US/CDC card,” said 39-year-old Freiburg resident Megan Reynolds.
 
 
This wasn’t the case for everyone, however. Lauren Eastwood, who lives in Duisburg, said that the pharmacies she had visited had “balked” at her US vaccine certificate, making it an uphill struggle to obtain the EU-wide pass.
 
“I’m concerned that pharmacists are resisting anything that isn’t identified as legitimate by the government,” she added. “There should be clear rules in place for allowing vaccinations from other countries to be imported into the pass.”
 
Virgil, 45, had similar problems getting his Romanian vaccination recognised in his current home city of Munich.
 
“It is not possible where I live,” he told us. “The doctors refuse to issue the German digital pass for a Romanian vaccination proof. We are waiting for the European pass to be issued.”
 
Some respondents also questioned why it was necessary to get the vaccine booklet and the digital certificate in two separate stages.
 
“It should not be necessary to go to a pharmacy to get your confirmation of full vaccination into the app,” said Richard Peach, 65, from Dortmund. “All doctors should be issued with the means to do this straight after your second vaccination.”
 
 
This could, however, have changed over the past few weeks: information on the CovPass website now states that doctors’ surgeries are able to provide QR codes for the digital pass. 
 
Makes life easier for the vaccinated
 
When asked if they were in favour of Germany’s digital vaccine pass, several people commented on the difference that it would make to their lives. 
 
“This makes life easier for everyone, I think,” said Leipzig resident Demi Pasaoglu.  
 
“I’m absolutely in favour of it,” added 34-year-old Dan-Radu Hadarean, who lives in Frankfurt-am-Main. “Whatever makes it easier to get over the restrictions.”
 
Ronny Reed, 56, who lives in the small town of Riedstadt near Darmstadt, said he had enjoyed using his new digital pass when going out to dine with his wife. 
 
“We showed the pass, were seated and the food was on its way,” he said.
 

The digital CovPass can be used to dine in the inside areas of bars and restaurants. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Roland Weihrauch
 
Others were just keen to have a means of visiting friends and family in their home country after being unable to see them for so long.
 
“If it means I can travel back to Ireland from Germany more easily I welcome these types of transparent methods of keeping us all safe,” said David Power, a 34-year-old Berlin resident.
 
“I miss my mother and father a lot and haven’t been home since the pandemic started.”
 
Safer than the yellow booklet
 
Several respondents liked the idea of digitalising the pass to protect against the loss or theft of the paper version. 
 
“Carrying the yellow passbook around is worrying in case it gets damaged or stolen,” said Richard Peach, while Mary Weissig, 63, who lives in Nuremberg, said she prefers to carry “as few documents as possible” while out and about. 
 
Bavaria resident Andrew McCandlish, 47, agreed: “It saves from me having to carry around my vaccination book,” he told us. 

App Store issues

While getting hold of the pass in pharmacies generally wasn’t a problem for people, several readers complained that the country settings on their phone had meant they were unable to download the CovPass app.  
 
“I was vaccinated in the US and got the QR code with no issue from a local pharmacy as soon as they were made available in Germany,” said Charlotte C., 33, who lives in Berlin. “However, as I’m unable to change my App store country settings, I cannot install the available apps for uploading my vaccine status.”
 
As a work around, Charlotte says she has scanned a PDF of the certificate into her phone to show at places like cinemas and indoor restaurants, where proof of vaccination or a negative test is required. However, she’s unsure if this would work for overseas travel. 
 
 
“When it comes to intra-EU flights there’s still an incredible discrepancy in how different countries are handling paperwork, requirements, and testing,” she said. “Practically speaking, the vaccine certificate hasn’t reduced any requirements or confusion thus far in terms of travel.”
 
 
Meghan Reynolds was also afflicted by the CovApp’s limited availability on the international App Store. 
 
“With the actual paperwork given by the pharmacy, I have had no issues providing proof of vaccination,” she told us.
 
“However, I was not able to download the app because it was not available in my area. Although it’s a German phone, my Apple ID is American.
 
“While I find it ridiculous, my boyfriend was able to scan it into his phone, and take a screenshot which I’ve stored in my photos. It has my name and is still readable by any scanner so hopefully it’s a good work-around, but I am carrying the paperwork verification with me just in case.”
 

Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) shows the CovPass on his phone. At present, the app is only available in German. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Michael Kappeler
 
Josh, who lives in Kaiserslautern in Rhineland-Palatinate, also criticised the ‘Germany-only’ availability of the app.
 
“I have been able to get registered in the system, but have not been able to download the app due to it not being available in the international Apple App Store – it’s only available in the German regional store,” he said.
 
“They should make the app available on the international store like the Dutch, Swiss, UK, Luxembourg and other country apps are.” 
 
Ted, 36, who lives in Hamburg, was one of a handful of respondents who criticised the app’s restricted language settings.
 
“The CovPass app is only available in German,” he said. “It would be helpful if it had the ability to switch languages for the interface,” 
 
“There should be better education for the pharmacists so they know that they can issue QR codes for those vaccinated elsewhere – with Germany’s approved vaccines, of course,” said Katie M., 58, Munich. “And I sure wish they would make Corona-Warn available in the US App Store.”

Data protection concerns 

With the move to a digitalised system, some readers were concerned at how their data might be used if they switched to the app – and whether the government might then have a means of “tracking” them.

“I will not have an app as it can track me,” said one anonymous respondent. “I will carry a paper negative test.” 

Some of the respondents who voiced privacy concerns about the app said they were also worried about the safety of the vaccines. 

“I’ve got no plans to use a tool to enable tracking of my movements,” said Phil Cooper, who lives in Schömberg and says he won’t be getting vaccinated due to concerns about side effects. 

“I’m not at all in favour of [the digital pass],” he added. “It’s just another means of collecting data on people.”


Some readers are concerned about data privacy in the app, but the government say they have implemented strong protection measures. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Sebastian Kahnert

“They cannot get security right,” said Marcus Wongyai, 60, from Berlin. “The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation is a minimum and people think it protects more than it really does.”
 
But other people felt that the alleged privacy issues of the digital vaccine passport had been overstated.
 
 
“I think many people are worried about the data that is collected from the phone but I think they need to change,” said 28-year-old Vishal, who lives in Dresden. “It doesn’t take sensitive or private content. There is enough data protection.”
 
“It’s a great idea and is well implemented,” said 36-year-old Berliner Andrew. “The stored data is a transparent open standard, which is a practical consideration in privacy-conscious Germany and is far better than relying on single businesses as providers.”
 
On the CovPass website, the government has sought to reassure people who may have privacy concerns.
 
According to information on the site, vaccination data is only stored locally on your phone, while the QR code only contains minimal data and is secured with a signature that prevents counterfeiting.
 

Member comments

  2. The absence of regulations and process for non-German vaccination certificates – “pharmacy shopping”, really? – is practically scandalous.

    Does anyone know a pharmacy in or around Munich that can and will digitize a US CDC vaccination card?

  3. I’m fully vaccinated and have the CovPass app. I’ll share my work around for it only being available in the Apple German App Store.

    I created a second Apple ID that has its country set to Germany. Then I logged out of my account for the Apple App Store and iTunes. Next I logged in with my German Apple ID. I then downloaded any of the Germany only Apps like CovPass and CovPass Check. Last I logged out of the Apple App Store and back in with my US account.

    At that point it was easy to scan the QR code in using the CovPass app. I got my vaccination from a local doctor in Berlin on the 30th of June and they already had the proper paperwork. Hope this helps someone.

    This a link to the steps I followed to change my account. I followed the section titled ‘The Benefits of Creating a Second Apple ID Account’.

    https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/dont-switch-international-itunes-media-app-store-youve-read/

  4. The only issue is they got my vaccination dates backwards because I was vaccinated on a US base and despite advising the correct dates several times they insisted on telling me I was vaccinated on different dates than I was. Go figure. So, it basically says I was vaccinated 3 months before I actually was. It will only matter if they limit how far back a vaccine is valid.

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READER QUESTIONS

Vaccine pass for visitors in France – your questions answered

France now has in place a vaccine pass that is required for entry into a wide range of everyday venues including bars, cafés, tourist sites and long-distance trains - but this can be complicated for visitors or people vaccinated outside France.

Published: 24 January 2022 17:03 CET
Vaccine pass for visitors in France - your questions answered
Bars and cafés are among the French venues that require a vaccine pass. Photo: Sameer Al Doumy/AFP

Since January 24th, France has put in place a vaccine pass which is required to enter a wide range of venues including bars, cafés, restaurants, gyms, leisure centres, cinemas, theatres, museums, large events and long-distance trains.

In short, if you intend to spend time in France, you are going to need one if you want to do anything fun.

Previously a health pass was in place, which allowed for either proof of vaccination or a recent negative test, but from January 24th negative tests are no longer accepted for anyone aged 16 and older.

You can find more details on how the pass works HERE, but there are some issues which particularly affect tourists, visitors or people vaccinated outside France.

Do I need a vaccine pass to enter France?

No. When the French government talks about the vaccine pass, they mean the domestic pass required to access everyday activities in France.

Depending on where you are travelling from, you may need to show proof of vaccination at the border, but this can be a vaccination certificate from your home country.

Once you’re in France, however, you will most likely need the pass. 

How do I get a vaccine pass?

The vaccine pass isn’t a physical document, it just means that you need to show proof of either vaccination, recent recovery from Covid or a medical exemption in order to enter certain venues (more on those below).

Importantly, however, these documents must have a French QR code so that staff in venues can scan them.

Most people use the TousAntiCovid app, which is available on all smartphones and has an option in English, but you can show paper certificates if you prefer.

If you are travelling from an EU or Schengen zone country you can use your own country’s domestic health/vaccine pass, since all QR codes are compatible within the bloc.

I had a health pass when I came to France in the summer, is the vaccine pass the same thing?

In effect, yes. The health pass required either proof of vaccination, proof of recent recovery from Covid or proof of a recent negative Covid test and most people used the TousAntiCovid app to show this (although you can also show paper certificates).

The vaccine pass doesn’t allow presentation of a negative test result, but in most other respects is the same, so if you have proof of full vaccination, nothing changes for you. Apart, that is, from boosters . . .

Do I need a booster shot to use the vaccine pass?

Probably, yes.

It depends on when you were vaccinated, but over 18s who have not had a booster more than seven months after their second dose are no longer counted as fully vaccinated. 

From February 15th, this window shrinks to four months.

If you have had the booster, it doesn’t matter if the gap between second dose and booster was longer than four or seven months, this concerns only those who have not received a booster shot.

The booster requirement applies to all vaccine pass users, including visitors.

However boosters are not required for travel, so in brief you can enter France without a booster, but you won’t be able to do much once you’re here.

Full details on who needs a booster HERE.

Will my vaccination certificate/booster shot certificate work with the French pass?

It depends on where you were vaccinated.

If you were vaccinated in the EU, Schengen zone or UK then you can scan the QR code on your vaccination certificate straight into the French app. This is also the case if you previously had a health pass and need to add a booster shot in order to keep it valid.

If, however, you were vaccinated in the USA, Canada, Australia or any other non EU/UK/Schengen country then things are a little more complicated. Once in France, you will have to take your vaccination certificate to an approved pharmacy in order to get a QR code that can be used with the French app. Full details HERE.

A vaccination certificate from your home country will be accepted at the border.

I’m not vaccinated but I have recently recovered from Covid, can I use the pass?

The vaccine pass requires one of three things; proof of full Covid vaccination, proof of recent recovery from Covid or proof of a medical exemption (more on that below).

However, the proof of recent recovery must be in an accepted format.

You can find full details on that here, but again it depends on where you tested positive for Covid. If it was in the EU, UK or Schengen zone then you should be able to upload your positive Covid test to the French app. The test must be more than 11 days old, but less than six months old in order to be valid.

If you tested positive outside the EU, you may have a problem. Some countries provide positive tests in a format recognised by France but others – including the USA – do not.

You can find full details of compatible codes HERE.

I had Covid before I could get a booster, what should I do?

If you want to use proof of recent recovery from Covid instead of a booster shot, then it’s the same process as outlined above.

I can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons, what can I do?

France does provide an option for medical exemptions, but the process is so complicated as to be virtually inaccessible to people who are just visiting France.

READ ALSO How can people who cannot be vaccinated use France’s vaccine pass?

In order to use the medical exemption clause, you require a French certificat de contre-indication, and getting one of these is not easy.

First you must fit the criteria of listed medical conditions which constitute an acceptable reason not to be vaccinated – and that is a short list.

Then you need a certificate from a French doctor stating that you cannot be vaccinated, certificates from doctors outside France are not accepted.

Once you have the certificate you need to send it to Assurance Maladie – the French state health insurer – which validates the certificate and issues you with a QR code that can be used with the vaccine pass. French residents can use an online process to send their certificate to Assurance Maladie, but this requires a French social security number. 

Where can I go without a vaccine pass?

The theory behind the vaccine pass is that people can do the essentials of daily life without it, but anything fun requires the pass.

It is not required for shops, short-distance transport or city public transport such as the Paris Metro, most workplaces, parks, beaches and outdoor gyms or when buying food or drink to take out.

It is required for; ski lifts, bars, restaurants, cafés, cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries, tourist sites (including outdoor sites), gyms, leisure centres, sports grounds, concerts, nightclubs (when they reopen), large events like festivals or long-distance train travel.

Are there any exemptions?

There are a couple of exemptions where a negative Covid test, taken within the previous 24 hours, is accepted instead of a vaccine pass.

  • If you need to travel on a long-distance train and have “imperative reasons of a family or health nature” such as going to visit a dying relative – you would need to present some proof of this.
  • A vaccine pass is required to access non-emergency medical treatment or to visit a medical or social establishment (such as a nursing home). If you do not have a vaccine pass you can use a negative test instead. Emergency medical treatment does not require a vaccine pass or a Covid test.

What about children?

  • A vaccine pass is required for anyone aged 16 or above.
  • Children aged between 12 and 15 are required to use the health pass, in which a negative Covid test no more than 24 hours is accepted for those who are not fully vaccinated.
  • Under 12s do not require any type of pass.

The definition of fully vaccinated for children is the same as for adults; to be at least seven days after two doses of Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccines or 28 days after a Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Booster shots are not required for under 18s.

For children travelling from countries that have only recently started offering vaccinations to under 18s, or that only offer a single shot of Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna, this creates a problem as the children are unvaccinated by the French definition and face daily Covid tests in order to keep the health pass.

Do all these venues really check the pass?

Staff at any of the listed vaccine pass venues are supposed to check the pass on entry, but as ever in life, compliance is not 100 percent.

The majority of places do check, especially in the cities, but it can be variable. We’ve also heard anecdotal accounts of staff accepting non-French vaccination certificates, especially the American CDC cards, but be aware that this is not official policy.

It’s probably best not to chance it on a train – guards can remove you from the train at the next stop if you are found to be travelling without a valid pass.

And if you’re tempted to use someone else’s pass in order to gain access to a bar/café etc then we would strongly advise against this – that is vaccine pass fraud and there are very stiff penalties in place for this, including jail time.

Do you have a question on vaccine passes that is not covered here? Email us on [email protected] and we will do our best to answer it.

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