Few documents have sparked as much controversy as the COVID certificate. Essential requirement to drive freely during the toughest months of the pandemic, currently only needed to travel between EU countries and, in the case of Galicia, to visit hospitals and residences for the elderly or people with disabilities.
The so-called COVID passport simply proves that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has recovered from the disease or has had a diagnostic test and it has been negative. Without it, you can travel within the European Union, but the admission process is slower and may include additional measures, such as tests or quarantines.
When does the COVID passport expire?
The so-called COVID passport has a validity period:
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As recovery certificate: from day 11 to 180 days after having a positive diagnostic test.
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As diagnostic test certificate: 72 hours in the case of having been negative in a PCR and 24 hours in the case of an antigen test.
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As vaccination certificate: its validity begins 14 days after the date of administration of the last dose of the complete vaccination schedule (primary vaccination); that is, after having received the second dose of Moderna, Pfizer or Astra Zeneca or the single dose of Janssen, and ends after 270 days (nine months). From that moment on, for the COVID passport to remain valid, it must reflect the administration of a booster dose and is considered valid from the same day that this booster is administered. Passports issued before the booster dose inoculation must be downloaded again for the third vaccination to appear in the document update.
Last March, the countries of the European Union agreed to extend the COVID certificate until June 30, 2023 as a requirement to move between Member States.
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