Before reading this helpful Q&A on the Digital Covid Certificate which is meant for quick reference. As the Covid situation is constantly changing you should go to Re-open EU (europa.eu) to get the most up to date travel information – this is an official EU website and you can check requirements for travel from Ireland to other EU states and for travel from EU States back to Ireland. You cannot get information on this website for non-EU countries.
If you understand this and are happy to continue, please read on.
The EU Digital Covid Certificate or DCC will be officially operational in Ireland from Monday 19th July 2021
What does this mean?
The EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate (DCC), is designed to make safe travel easier by providing proof that the holder has either:
- Been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 with one of the approved vaccines (Pfizer BioNtech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, or Janssen)
- Received a negative test in the last day or two (PCR for Ireland, but other European countries accept certain types of antigen tests)
- Recovered from Covid-19 in the last six months
The certificate will be a QR code that will be available digitally on a smart device or on a piece of paper. In Ireland, they will be issued by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) based on information provided to it by the HSE.
Where will this allow me to travel to?
You can travel to the rest of the EU and six non-EU countries that have opted in to the system – Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, and Vatican City.
So can I not travel to the UK?
The good news is yes you can. The UK is covered by the Common Travel Area (CTA) and there are no restrictions on travel from Ireland to the UK. All restrictions from the UK to Ireland will be lifted on Monday 19th July. Click here to go to the official DFA website for up to date information on travel to and from the UK.
What about the USA?
At the moment, no you can’t travel there. However, the rules for the USA are possibly changing as this article is being written please click here for the most up to date information on the DFA website. Fully vaccinated people travelling from the US to Ireland will no longer need to self-isolate on arrival here from Monday 19th July.
You didn’t cover the country I want to travel to, where will I find this information?
Sorry we’ve tried to be helpful without boring everyone so the best place to find out about the country you want to travel to is here
What are the rules about children and the EU DCC (Digital Covid Cert)?
Assuming that children between the ages of 7 and 17 do NOT have an EU Digital Covid Cert they must have a negative RT-PCR test in order to return to Ireland. Children aged 6 and under do not need to take an RT-PCR test prior to returning to Ireland. The Irish Government agreed on 13 July that this exemption will be extended to children under 12 years from 19 July but this has not been updated on the relevant Government websites, hopefully, it should happen shortly.
I heard I didn’t need a DCC to travel to the EU, is this true?
Yes, but it does make it easier and much faster if you have one, The DCC is not a compulsory document for travel. It only serves to speed up travel checks and make travelling that bit easier without the need for any kind of quarantine.
Here’s our hot tip put your Digital Covid Cert on your phone.
How do I do that?
The Covid Tracker app has been updated with a new button called ‘Register EU Digital Covid Certificate’. You’ll need to allow the App to update and then you’ll see the button, press this, it lets you take a photo of the ‘QR code’ on your certificate. It will then display your credentials and your vaccination status, as well as your certificate ID and the type of vaccine you received.
Happy travelling travelescapes.ie
- This information is subject to change based on public health guidance so
always check the most up to date information before you travel.
- This information is correct at this time and to the best of our knowledge,
For up to date guidance see your airlines website and DFA.ie
