Publication
EU Digital COVID Certificate
From Department of Health; Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
- 1. What the EU Digital COVID Certificate is
- 2. How it works
- 3. When you will get your Digital COVID Certificate
- 4. How to store your Digital COVID Certificate
- 5. Travel without this certificate
- 6. If you don't get your Digital COVID Certificate in the coming weeks
- 7. Digital COVID Certificate helpline
- 8. What will be on your Digital COVID Certificate
- 9. People who have been vaccinated or have recovered in another country
- 10. Travelling with children
- 11. How to get a Digital COVID Certificate after a negative COVID-19 test
- 12. Number of EU Digital COVID Certificates issued to date
- 13. Using the Digital COVID Certificate for other purposes
- 14. Update: notice on certificates containing Síneadh Fada
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.
Before arriving into Ireland, you will need to complete a Passenger Locator Form.
On the form, you will indicate which of the following you are travelling with:
- proof of vaccination
- proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 6 months
- proof of negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of arrival
Your Digital COVID Certificate can be used as proof of whichever of the above applies for you.
Your Passenger Locator Form will be checked prior to departure on your journey to Ireland by your carrier and you may be asked to provide the certificate indicated on your form.
At arrival in Ireland, spot checks will be carried out on Digital COVID Certificates, other proof of vaccinations and negative RT-PCR tests as appropriate.
The introduction of these additional checks will cause some disruption to journeys. If you are travelling, you are advised to expect delays and give yourself extra time either side of departure and arrival.
There are 4 types of Digital COVID Certificate:
You can get this certificate if you have been vaccinated against COVID-19. If the HSE has a valid email address for you from the vaccination process – you will get your Digital COVID Certificate by email. Otherwise, you will get your certificate via post.
These Digital COVID Certificates are currently being emailed or posted.
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.
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.
NOTE: A Digital COVID Certificate based on an antigen test will not be accepted for entry to Ireland, but is acceptable in a number of other countries – find out more on the ReOpen EU website.
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
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.
Certificates based on vaccination are now being issued. If you have not received your Digital COVID Certificate based on vaccination in the coming weeks, you can call the helpline on 1800 807 008. You can request the certificate based on recovery using an online form.
Every effort has been made to ensure the data is correct and complete. If you do have a concern about the detail on your Digital COVID Certificate, you can call the helpline on 1800 807 008 to have the details corrected.
The certificate will contain a QR code with a digital signature for verification.
The certificate will only contain necessary information, including:
- your name
- your date of birth
- the date of issue
- relevant information about your vaccine or test or recovery
- a unique identifier number
When your certificate is checked, the QR code is scanned, and the signature verified.
The Digital COVID Certificate is a record of a medical event that takes place in the country of issuing. People who were vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 in another jurisdiction will need to access the Digital COVID Certificate in that country. The certificate is not related to your citizenship.
If you are travelling from Ireland and need a Digital COVID Certificate of a negative test, you can access this through private providers.
Children between the ages of 12 and 17 will be required to have a negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival to travel into the country, unless they have valid proof of vaccination or recovery.
Children of any age, travelling with accompanying vaccinated or recovered adults will not be required to self-quarantine post arrival. However, where one accompanying adult needs to self-quarantine, then all children must also self-quarantine.
Advice on travelling abroad is available from the Department of Foreign Affairs website.
| Date | Certificates issued |
| 22 July | 2,221,566 |
| 23 July | 2,269,999 |
| 24 July | 2,237,586 |
| 25 July | 2,345,506 |
| 26 July | 2,409,126 |
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.
We are sorry that many of our residents who received their Digital COVID Certificates through the post were disappointed to find that the síneadh fadas in their name and/or address had been misprinted.
This was unfortunately due to an error in our print preparation process, which has since been resolved.
We have identified people whom we believe were affected by this error and reissued your certificates automatically.
We appreciate that some of you may use the fada in every day correspondence but not on your passport name. If you are concerned about this and would prefer an exact match, a portal facility will be available later this week to facilitate a resolution.
Please do not contact the service desk unless your travel is imminent.
We apologise for any inconvenience.
The Digital COVID Certificate team
