Seven EU member states — Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia and Poland — have made the decision to connect with the EU system which verifies COVID-19 certificates. These countries have also started to issue such certificates.
“The certificates are electronic proof that a person has survived the disease or has a negative COVID-19 test. This concerns only PCR tests. It also a certificate which confirms a COVID-19 vaccination. The certificates can be downloaded online,” said Health Minister Adam Niedzielski.
He stated that the system will officially start on July 1, as that is when other countries will recognize the new standard. Poland, however, will be among the leading countries which will issue certificates a month early (June 1).
The minister also explained that the certificate will be accessible through the Polish online patient account and the government is working to make it downloadable via a mobile app. The certificates will be either in electronic or paper form.
The EU has created a “gate” in less than two months, which is a system that permits the verification of security added to the QR codes of all certificates. Thanks to this, both citizens and authorities will have certainty that a certificate is authentic. During this process, no personal data is transferred or stored.
The Union Covid Certificate (UCC) is an electronic document which allows for safe and free movement between EU states during the pandemic. The UCC is comprised of a QR code and a unique identifier which can be shown while crossing a border. Owing to the information stored in the certificate, its holders will not have to undergo quarantine or take additional tests.
The UCC is valid in all EU member states, as well as in Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein. It is important to note, however, that all other EU countries are implementing the system on July 1 (with a 6-week-long transition period).
