Spain to start issuing the EU Digital COVID Certificate from today, 20 days before it becomes mandatory

Spain becomes one of the first European countries capable of issuing and recognising this certificate. It is 20 days earlier than when it becomes mandatory - set for 1 July - which is the date set by the European Regulation for the rights of citizens and the obligation of States.

This will be done progressively and on a trial basis throughout June, although the certificates issued will be valid from the outset. This week, most regional governments will start issuing digital certificates to accredit some of the conditions, mainly having received the vaccine or having recovered from the disease.

In the coming days and weeks, the regional governments will offer more and more functionalities to this certificate with the aim of all being able to issue electronic and hard-copy certificates from 1 July accrediting the three situations: vaccination, recovery and negative results of diagnostic test.

From today, any citizen who requests it at the electronic office of the Ministry of Health will be able to prove that they have been vaccinated or that they have overcome the disease.

Safe and free of charge

The EU Digital COVID Certificate, which begins to be issued in our country today, and in turn, Spain also accepts from travellers from other European countries, is completely free of charge and can be obtained both in electronic and paper formats. In both cases, each certificate includes a QR code that makes it easy to read.

It is simple and interoperable across the EU and must be fully implemented by 1 July. It certifies that a person has been vaccinated, has overcome the disease or has a negative test result. It is totally secure and respects privacy. In fact, the data remains on the certificate and is not stored or retained when a Certificate is verified by another Member State.

Without this certificate, it will be possible to travel within the EU in compliance with the health requirements, but the process of entering the country will be slower and additional measures, such as testing and quarantine, may be put in place.

"Thanks to the work of the professionals of the National Health System, both the Ministry and the regional governments, it will be possible that in just over a month, millions of Spaniards will be able to have this certificate to facilitate their international mobility," said Alfredo González Gómez, Secretary General for Digital Health, Information and Innovation, who added: "This demonstrates both the enormous potential of new technologies applied to health and the excellent collaboration that exists in the NHS between the Government of Spain and the regional governments".

New rules for entering Spain

It should be noted that new rules governing the health requirements to be met by all travellers entering Spain came into force today. All vaccinated people with a full vaccination schedule may enter our country regardless of their place of origin, providing proof of vaccination if they come from a country or area at risk. Accepted vaccines are those authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) and at least 14 days must have elapsed since the full schedule was completed.

In addition, all people travelling to Spain from a European country in the Schengen Area will be able to do so if they can prove that they: have been vaccinated against COVID-19, have a negative test result, including antigen tests for the first time, or had the disease in the last six months and have recovered from it.

From today, Spain also accepts travellers coming from other EU countries who can prove any of these three situation (vaccination, negative test or recovery) by means of the EU Digital COVID Certificate issued by any European country. With this Certificate, travellers will be able to enter Spain more quickly and easily, avoiding waiting times and additional controls.

This new system, which came into force today, represents a decisive step in opening of Spain to safe international mobility, and has been possible thanks to the progress of the information systems and technological platforms developed by the Ministry of Health to guarantee the maximum efficiency of health controls at our ports and airports.

This control is a reality thanks to the SpTH system and the health control forms, which will continue to be compulsory, and also thanks to the devices established by Sanidad Exterior, AENA and Puertos del Estado.

Therefore, from today, all vaccinated people, wherever they come from, will be able to enter Spain and, if they also come from an EU country, they will be able to do so easily and comfortably thanks to the EU Digital COVID Certificate.

Non official translation