EU, Georgia Recognize Each Other’s COVID Certificates

The European Commission recognized the equivalence of Georgia’s COVID-19 passes – vaccination, testing, and recovery certificates – with the EU Digital Covid Certificate.

The decision will enter into force on November 16 and will ease travel and allow Georgian citizens with the COVID certificate to remain exempt from travel-related testing or quarantine. Georgia, on its part, also agreed to accept the EU COVID Certificate for travel from the EU to the country.

Fully vaccinated persons holding the pass shall be exempt from testing or quarantine 14 days after receiving the last dose. Meanwhile, recovered persons are exempt during the first 180 days after a positive PCR test, and persons with a test certificate are exempt within 72 hours of a PCR test and 48 hours for rapid antigen tests.

For waiving free movement restrictions, EU member states are obligated to accept the vaccines European Medicines Agency (EMA) has authorized – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) jabs. Some member states have also opted to accept vaccines on the WHO emergency list, including Sinopharm and Sinovac jabs, which Georgia administers.

Alongside Georgia, Moldova, Serbia, and New Zealand were also connected to the EU’s travel pass system today.

“Just as we have stood by our partners in the fight against the pandemic, we continue to work together to open up safely,” said Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi.

Georgia rolled out its vaccination in mid-March 2021. The country currently administers Pfizer, Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines. As of November 15, 966,790 are fully vaccinated.

Georgia’s COVID certificate can be obtained at Public Service Hall and its Service Centers, or digitally on covidpass.moh.gov.ge. The authorities are also testing a smartphone application for the passes.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)