PROVING a Filipino’s vaccination status when traveling between the Philippines and the European Union is now easier, as the country is now connected to the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) system.
This means that, as a result of the equivalence decision, the EU recognizes the Philippines’s Covid-19 vaccination certificates and, at the same time, the country can now accept and recognize EUDCC certificates according to its own legal order.
Following discussions between the EU and the Philippines, the European Commission adopted an Implementing decision giving technical recognition to the latter’s VaxCertPH as equivalent to the EUDCC.
Effective July 29, when traveling between EU member-states, holders of the Philippine vaccine certificate can use it under the same conditions as people holding the EUDCC. At the same time, travelers carrying the EUDCC can now use it to confirm their vaccination status when entering the Philippines.
“The EU regards this as an important milestone in ensuring expedite and safe travel and people’s mobility,” said the region’s Chargé d’Affaires a.i. to the Philippines Dr. Ana Isabel Sánchez Ruiz. “We are grateful to the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Health and Bureau of Quarantine for their work through the process, as well as to the departments of Foreign Affairs and Tourism for their support.”
The Philippines is the sixth country in the Asean to be recognized under the EUDCC system, as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam had earlier been included.
Globally, the EU has, to-date, adopted equivalence decisions with 45 third-world countries and territories in five continents, which brings the total to 75. The most recent decisions were adopted also on July 29, when Oman and Peru were also added.
Filipino travelers who have yet to be vaccinated with an EU-authorized vaccine still need to check which ones are accepted by the relevant member-state prior to their travel.
All there is to know about the EUDCC is on https://europa.eu/!yh86gY.