Emmanuel Macron spoke of the forthcoming lifting of movement restrictions between European countries, but also with American citizens vaccinated thanks to a “special passport”. What we know.
Emmanuel Macron also mentioned the arrival on French territory, both for foreigners and for the rest of the world. “We are working very hard to find a concrete solution, especially for vaccinated Americans, with a special passport, I would say,” he added. In order to define a “concrete solution” of this type, discussions are underway with the White House, and the ministers concerned “are currently in the process of completing the technical discussions”, he added. If people who wish to come to France are not vaccinated, a negative PCR test may also be a condition of access to the territory.
According to a survey published by Le Parisien in mid-January, 62% of French people voted for compulsory vaccination of people who want to fly to travel abroad. Since then, the question of vaccine passports has caused a lot of controversy: what is it called, will it be compulsory to go to Europe? The “digital green certificate”, health passport of the European version, was presented in March by Commissioner Thierry Breton in charge of vaccines in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.
What will the future European health certificate look like?
The first version of the health certificate to be implemented this summer was presented on Sunday March 29. On smartphone or on paper, it will contain a QR code, first and last name, date of birth, sex, passport number, social security number and type of vaccine with the date of injection for the doses if you have been vaccinated.
Is the vaccination passport compulsory?
The vaccine passport available in paper or digital version
The health pass will be available in paper version as well as in digital version for download on their smartphone. It will be a QR code that will indicate “your date of birth, your passport number certified with the QR code, if you have been vaccinated, what type of vaccine you have received, and if you have been a carrier of the disease if you have any antibodies or not.” Additionally, “for those who have not had the vaccine or the disease and for whom a PCR test will be requested, we will find the status of your PCR test”.
The health passport at the heart of the debate in the EU
At European level, the issue of establishing a vaccination passport was first raised by Greece in mid-January. While Athens has already issued its own health certificate proving someone has been vaccinated against Covid-19, the government has offered to extend this program to all 27 member states.
This health certificate was validated by the 27 EU member states after much debate In February last year, some European countries such as France and Germany confirmed that it was still too much to mention a health certificate , and condemned the soft vaccination campaign. Other countries, however, seemed to see it as a solution to anticipate the return of tourism to the EU. Iceland has already implemented a vaccination passport to enter the territory.