EU adds Turkey in its Travel Passport Scheme

Friday, August 20, 2021

European Commission announced that the European Union will accept Turkish COVID-19 certificates as of Friday.

The EU decision-making body adopted equivalent resolutions for the COVID-19 certificates. The authorities of Turkey, North Macedonia and Ukraine issued those certificates.

With this decision, Turkey joins the bloc’s COVID-19 pass system. This ensures easier travel to and within the bloc.

People carrying a Turkish COVID-19 certificate need not adopt pandemic-related measures while traveling within Europe. In response, EU citizens will have the freedom to use their COVID-19 passes when entering Turkey.

EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi welcomed Turkey, North Macedonia and Ukraine in the bloc’s Digital COVID Certificate System. Varhelyi said that as they are fighting the pandemic together their partners are also an integral part of opening up safely together.

The digital COVID 19 certificate was launched as of July with a goal to help citizens travel across the 27 nation bloc.

It also aimed towards opening up of summer tourism. The certificate can be on a smart phone or in a print out copy and takes the form of a QR- code.

It indicates if a traveller has been fully vaccinated, has a negative report or developed immunity on recovery from COVID infection.

It was designed to be free of charge, issued and valid in all the EU countries and commenced in national languages and in English.

The system also expands to the non EU countries of the border-free Schengen zone such as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway.

The vaccines that are made by the companies such as Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Astra Zeneca, Johnson & Johnson and CureVac received EMA authorization.

Turkish citizens who received both shots of Pfizer-BioNtech vaccines more than 14 days ago or those who can produce evidences of their recovery from COVID 19 may enter the bloc freely.

Those, who did not get their vaccine shots, need to take a test. Those who got the Sinovac should check the entry requirements at destination country.

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