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TRAVEL NEWS

Can I travel to Germany if I’ve had AstraZeneca’s ‘Covishield’ vaccine?

Travellers from the UK, India or Africa who've received a shot of AstraZeneca could well have had a shot of 'Covishield' - a Covid vaccine which is not yet approved by the European Union. So, what makes Covishield different, and can you still travel to Germany if you've had it?

Published: 12 July 2021 18:56 CEST
Updated: 17 July 2021 11:08 CEST
Can I travel to Germany if I've had AstraZeneca's 'Covishield' vaccine?
Photo: picture alliance/dpa/Ukrinform

What’s this all about?

While we’ve all become used to describing vaccines by the names of the companies who produce them, it turns out that the same vaccines can appear in numerous different guises.

In this instance, we’re mainly concerned with two key versions of AstraZeneca: one produced in Europe under the brand name Vaxzevria, and one produced under licence by India’s Serum Institute, which is marketed as a Covishield.

Though the brand names are different, the vaccine is identical: it is produced with the same ingredients to the same specifications. The only key difference is that the version made in India is not licensed within the EU.

Until recently, this hadn’t been much of an issue, since Covishield is largely distributed in India, Africa and the United Kingdom.

However, with the roll-out of the EU’s vaccine passport, the Indian-produced AstraZeneca vaccine has hit a snag: only vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) fall under the scope of the vaccine passport scheme, so travellers who’ve been immunised with Covishield have been having headaches when travelling around the EU. 

READ ALSO: Germany cracks down on fake Covid vaccine documents

What is the EU saying? 

A spokesperson for the European Commission told the The Local that the acceptance of Covishield for travellers was a matter for individual Member States – such as Germany – to decide.

“At present, Covishield is not authorised for placing on the market in the EU,” they said. “However, it has completed the World Health Organisation (WHO) Emergency Use Listing process. EU Member States can therefore decide to allow entry to those vaccinated with Covishield.”

This means that, while it may not be valid for the EU-wide digital, those who have had a shot of the Indian-manufactured vaccine should nonetheless be allowed to enter certain European countries without a negative test or proof of recovery – and, depending on that country’s rules, without needing to quarantine.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: How to get your digital Covid vaccine pass in Germany for EU travel

This also applies to other versions of popular vaccines that have been manufactured elsewhere in the world, such as the third version of AstraZeneca – SK Bio – which is manufactured in South Korea, and other versions of Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. 

OK, so what’s Germany saying?

Under pressure from AstraZeneca’s Indian manufacturing partner and the Indian government, Germany has been one of a number of European states to say that they will now accept Covishield for travel purposes.


The European version of AstraZeneca is the same as the Indian version in all but name. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/LongVisual via ZUMA Wire | Camilo Erasso

That means that travellers from the UK, India and Africa who have been inoculated with the Covishield version of the vaccine will be permitted to enter the country, though they may have some issues with onward travel to places like France, where Covishield is still unrecognised. 

Why did Germany change its mind?

There could be numerous reasons for this, but the most likely is that the version of AstraZeneca manufactured by India’s Serum Institute is identical to its European counterpart in all but name.

Since it has been formally recognised by the WHO, Germany is also at liberty to set its own rules on whether to accept travellers with Covidshield, meaning it has some flexibility to diverge from EU-wide standards.

As mentioned above, the European Union and its Member States have also been under pressure from both the Indian government and the CEO of India’s Serum Institute to make allowances for the non-EMA approved vaccine.

READ ALSO: 

At the start of July, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyan Jaishankar tweeted to say that he had raised the Covishield issue with European leaders at the G20 Summit. 

According to reports in Reuters, India has offered reciprocal recognition of the EU Covid Pass for travel to India in exchange for widespread recognition of its AstraZeneca vaccine. This would mean that anyone with an EU vaccine passport could avoid quarantine when travelling to India.  

Meanwhile, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said on Twitter in late June that he had also “taken this up at the highest levels” in Europe.

How do I know if I’ve been vaccinated with Covishield?

The easiest way to check if you’ve been vaccinated with Covishield is to look at your vaccination booklet and see what brand name is listed on there.

If your vaccine certificate states only AstraZeneca, you can check the batch number to find out which version you were vaccinated with.

Where else in Europe can I travel? 

As of June 12th, 15 countries in Europe had officially agreed to recognise Covishield for travel, according to a tweet by WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan. 

In alphabetical order, these are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

However, with India’s reciprocal offer on the table and an ever-expanding list of countries agreeing to accept the vaccine, more European countries could well be added to this list in the coming weeks. 

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For members

EES PASSPORT CHECKS

How will the new app for Europe’s EES border system work?

With Europe set to introduce its new Entry/Exit biometric border system (EES) in the autumn there has been much talk about the importance of a new app designed to help avoid delays. But how will it work and when will it be ready?

Published: 7 May 2024 10:29 CEST
How will the new app for Europe's EES border system work?

When it comes into force the EU’s new digital border system known as EES will register the millions of annual entries and exits of non-EU citizens travelling to the EU/Schengen area, which will cover 29 European countries.

Under the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), non-EU residents who do not require a visa will have to register their biometric data in a database that will also capture each time they cross an external Schengen border.

Passports will no longer be manually stamped, but will be scanned. However, biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard when the non-EU traveller first crosses in to the EU/Schengen area.

Naturally there are concerns the extra time needed for this initial registration will cause long queues and tailbacks at the border.

To help alleviate those likely queues and prevent the subsequent frustration felt by travellers the EU is developing a new smartphone app.

READ ALSO: What will the EES passport system mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The importance of having a working app was summed up by Uku Särekanno, Deputy Executive Director of the EU border agency Frontex in a recent interview.

“Initially, the challenge with the EES will come down to the fact that travellers arriving in Europe will have to have their biographic and biometric data registered in the system – border guards will have to register four of their fingerprints and their facial image. This process will take time, and every second really matters at border crossing points – nobody wants to be stuck in a lengthy queue after a long trip.”

But there is confusion around what the app will actually be able to do, if it will help avoid delays and importantly when will it be available?

So here’s what we know so far.

Who is developing the app?

The EU border agency Frontex is currently developing the app. More precisely, Frontex is developing the back-end part of the app, which will be made available to Schengen countries.

“Frontex is currently developing a prototype of an app that will help speed up this process and allow travellers to share some of the information in advance. This is something we are working on to support the member states, although there is no legal requirement for us to do so,” Uku Särekanno said in the interview.

Will the 29 EES countries be forced to use the app?

No, it is understood that Frontex will make the app available on a voluntary basis. Each government will then decide if, when and where to use it, and develop the front-end part based on its own needs.

This point emerged at a meeting of the House of Commons European scrutiny committee, which is carrying out an inquiry on how EES will impact the UK.

What data will be registered via the app?

The Local asked the European Commission about this. A spokesperson however, said the Commission was not “in a position to disclose further information at this stage” but that travellers’ personal data “will be processed in compliance with the high data security and data protection standards set by EU legislation.”

According to the blog by Matthias Monroy, editor of the German civil rights journal Bürgerrechte & Polizei/CILIP the Frontex app will collect passengers’ name, date of birth, passport number, planned destination and length of stay, reason for travelling, the amount of cash they carry, the availability of a credit card and of a travel health insurance. The app could also allow to take facial images. It will then generate a QR code that travellers can present at border control.

This, however, does not change the fact that fingerprints and facial images will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing into the Schengen area.

So given the need to register finger prints and facial images with a border guard, the question is how and if the app will help avoid those border queues?

When is the app going to be available?

The answer to perhaps the most important question is still unclear.

The Commissions spokesperson told The Local that the app “will be made available for Schengen countries as from the Entry/Exit System start of operations.” The planned launch date is currently October 6th, but there have been several delays in the past and may be another one.

The UK parliamentary committee heard that the prototype of the app should have been ready for EU member states in spring. Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the UK Department for Transport, said the app will not be available for testing until August “at best” and that the app will not be ready in time for October. The committee previously stated that the app might even be delayed until summer 2025.

Frontex’s Särekanno said in his interview: “Our aim is to have it ready by the end of the summer, so it can then be gradually integrated into national systems starting from early autumn”.

READ ALSO: How do the EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Can the system be launched if the app is not ready?

Yes. The European Commission told The Local that “the availability of the mobile application is not a condition for the Entry/Exit System entry into operation or functioning of the system. The app is only a tool for pre-registration of certain types of data and the system can operate without this pre-registration.”

In addition, “the integration of this app at national level is to be decided by each Schengen country on a voluntary basis – as there is no legal obligation to make use of the app.”

And the UK’s transport under secretary Guy Opperman sounded a note of caution saying the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

When the app will be in use, will it be mandatory for travellers?

There is no indication that the app will become mandatory for those non-EU travellers who need to register for EES. But there will probably be advantages in using it, such as getting access to faster lanes.

As a reminder, non-EU citizens who are resident in the EU are excluded from the EES, as are those with dual nationality for a country using EES. Irish nationals are also exempt even though Ireland will not be using EES because it is not in the Schengen area.

Has the app been tested anywhere yet?

Frontex says the prototype of the app will be tested at Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, in Sweden. Matthias Monroy’s website said it was tested last year at Munich Airport in Germany, as well as in Bulgaria and Gibraltar.

According to the German Federal Police, the blog reports, passengers were satisfied and felt “prepared for border control”.

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