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Reader question: Can tourists in Germany get the digital vaccine certificate?

Germany has been rolling out its digital vaccine certificate aimed at making travel easier. Can visitors to the country get it?

Published: 19 July 2021 12:46 CEST
Updated: 24 July 2021 09:41 CEST

Reader question: Can tourists in Germany get the digital vaccine certificate?

Travellers at Frankfurt airport on July 17th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Frank Rumpenhorst

What’s happening?

Germany has been opening up its borders to more countries recently as vaccinations have ramped up and the Covid situation eased. But many people are still unsure of what documents they need to enter Germany and what is accepted.

One of the aspects that our readers have been asking about is the digital vaccine pass.

Germany launched its version of the EU digital vaccination certificate in June.

People who are fully jabbed can go to a pharmacy with evidence of their vaccination and photo ID and receive the digital vaccine pass (known in Germany as the Impfpass or Impfnachweis).

It comes in the form of a QR code printed on paper that can be scanned onto an app in your smartphone. The paper document with the code on it can also be used for scanning if people do not have a smartphone.

Those who want the digital certificate can upload it to a phone – either in the CovPass app or the Corona Warn app. People are counted as fully vaccinated in Germany two weeks after the last jab.

Those vaccinated in a centre or at a doctor’s clinic may receive the QR code from the medics there. But if not, most pharmacies are now giving out the digital passes.

It is intended to make travel smoother in the EU. Users of the digital vaccination passport are more likely to be exempt from testing and quarantine obligations when travelling in the bloc if they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid.

😎🥳🤩high hopes for this ✈️ pic.twitter.com/d2lOKt4Ug0

— Rachel Loxton (@RachLoxton) July 7, 2021

However, EU countries will continue to decide for themselves on travel restrictions so you have to keep an eye on regional travel restrictions.

The aim is to coordinate digital certificates with other countries to eventually facilitate more international travel.

READ MORE:

Can I get this digital certificate if I’ve been vaccinated somewhere else?

Many people in Germany got their shots elsewhere for several reasons. For example, the German vaccine rollout was slow to start off with and some people decided to go to their home country for the jabs. Others split their time in different countries and got their vaccine in another location.

In Germany, you may be able to get the digital pass if you take your foreign vaccination pass to a pharmacy and ask them to convert it for you. The prerequisite is that it must be a vaccine approved in the EU. That currently is BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson.

Germany is also accepting travellers who’ve received AstraZeneca’s ‘Covishield’ for travel purposes.

But it is at the pharmacy’s discretion on whether you get the digital pass or not. We’ve heard from readers who have managed to get the digital certificate after checking at several pharmacies – so you could get lucky on that front.

What about if I’m a tourist visiting Germany?

We’ve had a few questions from readers asking if they are able to get the digital vaccine certificate when visiting Germany.

The Local asked the German Health Ministry if it is possible for visitors not living in the Bundesrepublik to get the digital pass at a pharmacy if they bring their vaccination card and ID.

A Health Ministry spokesman said it is only possible if the person is based in Germany.

The spokesman said: “Subsequent issuance of digital certificates is only possible if the vaccination was administered with a vaccine approved by the EMA and the person concerned has, for example, his or her permanent residence or permanent employment in Germany. This is checked by the service provider on site in each individual case.”

READ ALSO:

Do I need it if I’m visiting Germany?

No, the EU digital vaccine pass is not compulsory in Germany for anyone.

If you have not been vaccinated in Germany and need to provide proof of full vaccination on arrival to the country, the government says the EU digital Covid pass – or comparable proof of vaccination in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish – can be presented. It can be in written or digital form.

A photo of a vaccine certificate will not be suitable.

This certificate should include the following information:

The personal data of the vaccinated person (at least first and last name plus your date of birth)
The date/s of vaccination and number of vaccination doses
The name of the vaccine (must be EMA-approved)
The name of the disease against which the person was vaccinated
The name and address of the person or institution responsible for vaccinating the person
Confirmation in written or electronic form with the qualified electronic signature or qualified electronic seal of the person who carried out the vaccination; if for administrative reasons this is not possible, a suitable format such as a stamp or state symbols should be used to clearly identify the responsible person or institution.

At the moment there is no formal agreement between EU countries and the US (or any other non-EU countries) for fully jabbed people to receive a digital vaccination certificate.

As we mentioned above, it can be possible to get it depending on the pharmacy – but the Health Ministry said this is only for German residents at this time.

Member comments

Anonymous - 19 July 2021 at 14:18 CEST

@Rachel Loxton – did you managed to scan the QR code successfully / import the digital certificate into an App?
I have the printout like you show on your twitter feed, but the QR code doesn’t scan – I’ve tried a generic QR reader, COVPass app and the Corona Warn app, none work, so I’m sure it’s the QR code that is faulty or badly printed.

Do you know whether I can go to another pharmacy and get it reprinted?
1. Rachel L at The Local - 19 July 2021 at 16:28 CEST
  
  Hi Cait, I did manage to scan it in. Yeah I’m sure if you go back to the pharmacy they’ll be able to help you – especially if it’s because of the printer. I think they can print out another one for you. Good luck, hope you get it sorted.
Anonymous - 19 July 2021 at 16:43 CEST

Thanks Rachel, thanks for the reply

I was specifically wondering whether you knew if I could go to a different pharmacy (one with a better printer) and get a duplicate printed out. I checked on several local (Berlin) and national websites, but there is no information about whether this is possible. Alternatively, is there a way I can get a copy online to scan?
Or is this is a one and done exercise?

Since you seem to be able to pose questions to the German Health Ministry I was hoping you’d know (or be able to ask).
Thanks!
1. Rachel L at The Local - 20 July 2021 at 10:27 CEST
  
  Hi Cait, I’m not sure at all. I’ll try and find out for you. Best wishes.
Anonymous - 26 July 2021 at 09:42 CEST

I had to log into an account I invented just so I could download apps from the German app store, then we took our CDC cards down to a pharmacy, they said no, we went to a different pharmacy, they said yes and even though they typed in the dates backwards despite being told the US has month/day instead of day/month, we still got digital certs that we uploaded into the app using the QR code with no issues. We used those throughout Germany and Austria with no problems. They never asked to see the original CDC cards and rarely verified we were who we said we were. It is pretty convenient for the most part.

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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.

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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