Travel abroad often requires proof of antibodies or vaccination, and starting Thursday, those who have received one or two doses of the Covid vaccine can collect a so-called vaccine passport or Covid certificate. The e-health authority is prepared for high demand.  

– We are designed for a high volume and we have done everything we can to prepare, Annemieke Ålenius, head of department at the Swedish E-Health Agency.

The vaccine passport, or COVID certificate, is a free document that shows that you have been vaccinated against COVID-19, tested negative, or recovered from COVID-19. The idea behind the certificate is to make it easier to travel in Europe.  

– When you are traveling and crossing national borders, even for work, you will be able to prove that you do not carry the disease. Within the EU, it has been agreed that through the Covid certificate, you can prove this, but also that you have the opportunity at the border to prove that it is genuine, says Annemieke Ålenius. 

To obtain a Covid certificate, those with a Swedish personal identity number and e-ID can log in to the website www.covidbevis.se and then download it to their mobile phone or computer to print or save it. The certificate is also automatically sent to their digital mailbox.  

No guarantee of entry

If you do not have an e-ID, there is a form on the E-Health Authority's website that you can fill out and send to the E-Health Authority. The proof will then be sent to your population registration address.   

In the first round, those who have received the vaccine will, after seven days, be able to collect a vaccine passport consisting of a QR code, which is designed similarly in the EU, can be read and verified. The proof of vaccination is valid for 90 days and can be collected multiple times, in case it is lost or expires.

But the vaccination passport is no guarantee of entry into other EU countries. Each country still decides for itself what requirements they set for entry. As a traveler, you must find out for yourself what applies in the country you are going to and the countries you will be passing through.

Equipped for high pressure

Around 4.5 million people in Sweden have been vaccinated with the first dose of the Covid vaccine. The Swedish E-Health Agency has prepared for a possible high pressure both by having people on standby and by putting a block in place when it is noticed that there are too many in the hope of being able to let things roll as planned.

– We hope that people who don't need it on July 1 can wait a little, so that there won't be so much waiting time. But we are designed for a high volume, says Annemieke Ålenius.

During the first six weeks, until August 12, you can still use the document you use when traveling today, i.e. a negative PCR test.

Source: SVT