New recommendations have been put up by the European Commission to limit the validity period of the EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate. The Commission recommends a 270-day validity of the Digital certificate for those who haven’t yet received the Covid-19 booster.
The suggested period will be calculated from the day of the second dose. The new ruling will be followed by all EU member states from 1st February 2022. If you are traveling to the EU from a non-EU state then this rule is applicable as well.
How to Enter EU?
To be able to enter the EU member states you must provide a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate or a document proving that you have had your booster jab.
Where the Complexity Starts
Even though the European Commission has agreed on the recommendation, EU member states have chosen to implement differing national rules. These diverging rules have created a cloud of confusion for business travelers.
- Belgium announced that they will shorten the validity period of Covid certificates without booster jab to just 5 months starting on 1st March.
- Denmark, in December, has decided to set a 7 month validity period for the first two doses.
- Italy has reduced the validity of its ‘Super Green Pass’ from 9 months to 6 months from 1st February.
- France recently limited the validity period of their EU digital Covid certificate, Pass Sanitaire, to 7 months for French nationals who have yet to receive their booster shot.
- Latvia has announced that those who have been administered with one dose of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, Jannsen, and have yet to receive a booster jab will be issued a 5-month validity period.
- Greece has issued similar rules as Denmark wherein there is a 7 month validity period for vaccinated individuals without a booster jab.
- Malta is the first EU member state to declare a validity period for a booster shot. There will be a 3 month validity period for vaccination certificates without booster jab and a 9month validity period for certificates with booster jab.
Travel rules and restrictions continue to complicate the lives of business travelers and managers. It’s recommended to keep a watchful eye on government websites when traveling to other countries to stay up to date with the rules and regulations of your destination.
The situation of business travelers couldn’t have been better voiced by the CEO of GBTA when she stated:
“An inconsistent approach and lack of coordination between member states continue to cause confusion and a threat to business travel recovery. Corporates and business travelers need a predictable, harmonized and science-based response to the pandemic, to build confidence and momentum”.
