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.
Before arriving into Ireland, you will need to complete a 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.
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.
While an EU Digital COVID Certificate for a negative test result can be issued for either a negative antigen test result (professionally administered only) or a negative NAAT test result, it is not possible to issue a EU Digital COVID Certificate for recovery for a positive antigen test result.
Under the EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulations, an EU Digital COVID Certificate for recovery can only be issued at present following a positive NAAT test result.
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.
If you are travelling to Ireland from overseas you must fill out a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) before departure.
With effect from Thursday 6 January 2022, passengers to Ireland with:
- an accepted proof of vaccination, or
- proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the prior 6 months
do not have to show an additional pre-departure COVID-19 test result.
From 1 February 2022, vaccine certificates for primary vaccination series will not be accepted for travel if more than 270 days have passed since the final dose in the primary vaccine series. Vaccine certificates based on booster/ additional doses are not time limited.
Passengers without proof of vaccination, or proof of recovery from COVID-19 in the prior 6 months, must show evidence of a negative ('not detected') PCR test result taken within 72 hours prior to arriving in Ireland.
Only PCR test results are accepted for passengers to Ireland.
In situations where a person is unable to present evidence of a negative ('not detected') PCR test prior to travel due to continuing to test persistently positive after infection - a positive PCR result from a test taken 11 or more days prior to the date on which the person arrives in the State and no more than 180 days prior to the date on which the person arrives, will be accepted.
It is an offence to travel to Ireland from overseas without a pre-departure test result unless exempt. A passenger who travels without a test result or an exemption is required to take a PCR test within 36 hours following arrival.
Any individual that develops COVID-19 symptoms while in Ireland should follow the HSE guidance in relation to isolation and undertaking antigen or RT-PCR testing as appropriate.
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
For a two-dose vaccine schedule, if you received the first dose abroad and the second dose in Ireland, you may apply for an EU Digital COVID Certificate in Ireland. In this case you will need to contact the service centre and provide evidence of your first vaccine abroad.
If you received your first dose in Ireland and your second dose in another country, then please apply to the country where you received your second dose for a certificate.
If you received your complete vaccine schedule in a third country outside the EU, but are an Irish citizen, you may apply for an EU Digital COVID Certificate online. The service is currently open for applications from individuals 18 years of age and older who hold a valid Irish Passport and reliable proof that they have received a vaccination type currently authorised for use in Ireland including:
- Pfizer-BioNtech Vaccine (Comirnaty®)
- Moderna Vaccine (Moderna®)
- Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine (Vaxzevria® or Covishield)
- Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Vaccine (Janssen®)
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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