EU to Introduce Digital Vaccine Passport from Next Month 1st... Quarantine Exemption

"Ensuring a Comfortable and Safe Summer for Europeans"
EU Member States Plan to Vaccinate 70% of Adults by Mid-Next Month

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The European Union (EU) announced that it will issue digital vaccine passports to all 27 member countries starting from the 1st of next month. Vaccinated individuals who receive the vaccine passport are expected to be exempt from self-quarantine and COVID-19 testing, leading to a significant increase in travel demand within Europe during the summer vacation season.

According to foreign media including the British daily The Guardian on the 31st (local time), the EU Commission stated in a press release that "from July 1st, a digital COVID-19 vaccine passport will be introduced, and vaccinated individuals will be exempt from self-quarantine." Accordingly, the digital vaccine passport will be introduced across all 27 EU member countries starting next month, allowing not only COVID-19 vaccine recipients but also those who have tested negative for COVID-19 or have recovered from COVID-19 to receive the vaccine passport.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, tweeted on the same day, "Europeans should be able to enjoy summer safely and comfortably," adding, "With the introduction of the digital vaccine passport, free travel within the EU will be implemented clearly and predictably."

Currently, the EU Commission recommends that travelers visiting EU member countries submit a negative test certificate obtained from a PCR test within 72 hours or a rapid antigen test within 48 hours.

However, the UK is known to be maintaining quarantine and other restrictions as an exception. The EU Commission previously strengthened restrictions on arrivals from the UK into the EU, citing the rapid spread of the variant virus originating from India in the UK.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.