Publication
EU Digital COVID Certificate
From Department of Health; Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
The EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) is proof (in digital or paper format) that you have either:
- been vaccinated against COVID-19 or
- received a negative COVID-19 test result or
- recovered from COVID-19 in the last 6 months
Your free Digital COVID Certificate will help you to travel safely and more easily within the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you are travelling within the EU, check what restrictions are in place in the country you are travelling to on the ReOpen EU website in advance.
If you have been vaccinated or had a COVID-19 test here, you will be issued a Digital COVID Certificate from Ireland. See how you will get your certificate.
If you are travelling outside of the EU, please check the travel restrictions in that country on the Department of Foreign Affairs website.
From Sunday 6 March 2022, travellers to Ireland are not required to show proof of vaccination, proof of recovery or a negative PCR test result upon arrival.
There are no post-arrival testing or quarantine requirements for travellers to Ireland.
Travellers to Ireland are no longer asked to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form.
There are 4 types of Digital COVID Certificate:
You can get this certificate if you have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
These Digital COVID Certificates are currently being emailed or posted.
New Digital COVID Certificates are being issued to reflect your booster/additional vaccine dose. If you are eligible, you can request your new certificate using the online portal.
Find out more about the booster vaccination certificates on www.gov.ie/DCCbooster.
A certificate of recovery will be available from 11 days after a positive test and will be valid for no more than 180 days after you test positive. Instead of calling the Digital COVID Certificate helpline, you can now fill out an online form to request a certificate of recovery.
Currently DCCs for recovery are being issued following a positive NAAT test (including PCR tests).
You can book a RT-PCR test privately and a Digital COVID Certificate will be provided by the private RT-PCR testing service. Certificates based on a RT-PCR are valid for 72 hours after the test was taken.
You can book an antigen test privately and a Digital COVID Certificate will be provided by the private testing service. Certificates based on negative antigen tests are valid for 48 hours after the test was taken.
Keep a hard copy of your Digital COVID Certificate – it may be useful to have this with you.
The Digital COVID Certificate will be in PDF format when emailed to you. You may download it to your phone, where the QR code on the PDF may be inspected or scanned.
Your EU Digital COVID Certificate can now be stored on your COVID Tracker app.
You can use the COVID Tracker App as a 'wallet' to store your Digital COVID Certificate securely on your phone. This can make it easier for you to carry your certificate with you.
Simple steps for how to do this:
- update your COVID Tracker app to the latest version
- scan the QR code on the certificate you get by email or in the post
- if you got your certificate by email, it's easiest to open it on another device. You can then use your mobile device to scan it
- the certificate is only stored on your phone. It is not shared with anyone. You can delete it at any time
- you can use the app to store your certificate without using any of the other features in the app
When you get your certificate with your booster vaccine, delete your old certificate and then add your updated certificate to the app.
To do this:
- in the COVID Tracker app, tap View EU Compatible Digital Covid Cert
- tap EU COVID Certificate detail
- tap Delete then Confirm
- tap Register EU Digital COVID Certificate then Scan EU Digital COVID Certificate
- scan the QR code on your updated certificate
The document is not a precondition for travel, but it does make travelling within the EU easier. However, you will still need to adhere to the restrictions in place in the country you are travelling to. You can find detail on these restrictions on the ReOpen EU website.
The online Digital COVID Certificate portal allows you to:
- update details on your certificate
- get a certificate re-sent to you
- check the status of your certificate
- request a certificate of recovery
- get a DCC if you have had a vaccination booster outside of the EU
If you were vaccinated or got your booster in a non-EU country, then you can apply for an EU Digital COVID Certificate online. You can apply if you:
- are over 18 years of age
- hold an Irish passport
- have received a vaccine/booster that is currently authorised for use in Ireland
- Pfizer-BioNtech Vaccine (Comirnaty®)
- Moderna Vaccine (Moderna®)
- Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine (Vaxzevria® or Covishield)
- Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Vaccine (Janssen®)
- SinoPharm BIBP
- CoronaVac/Sinovac
- Covaxin
- Novavax
These countries can issue vaccination certificates which are seen as equivalent to the EU DCC when scanned in an EU country. For information on the uses of the EU DCC in each country please visit the relevant country page on Re-Open EU.
The Digital COVID Certificate is designed to support safe travel within the EU but countries may be using the EU Digital COVID Certificate for other domestic purposes, for example: to allow access to restaurants or cinemas. They will have to set that up in national law, so check before you travel.
For information on data protection relating to the issuance and verification of EU Digital COVID Certificates please refer to the Digital COVID Certificates Joint Data Controller Arrangement between the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive below.
EU DCC Joint Data Controllers Agreement
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