Finland to introduce EU Digital COVID Certificate on 22 June

Finland’s digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate will be updated and made interoperable with the EU Digital COVID Certificate as of 22 June, said the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on Thursday.

This means that the EU Digital COVID Certificate will be available to people in the My Kanta Pages starting on 22 June.

The national COVID-19 vaccination certificate will automatically be replaced by the EU Digital COVID Certificate in the My Kanta Pages.

A national COVID-19 vaccination certificate stored on a mobile phone or printed out from the My Kanta Pages, for example, should also be replaced by the EU Digital COVID Certificate, which is more widely recognised by the EU Member States.

Currently, over 90 per cent of the vaccinated population can be issued with a digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate.

However, some people may have to wait a while before they can view their vaccination certificate, as delays in data transfer to the My Kanta Pages continue to exist in certain areas in June.

In future, the certificate will be available in the My Kanta Pages within five days of vaccination.

The aim is that the other EU COVID-19 certificates — i.e. a certificate of a negative COVID-19 test and a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 — will also be available in the My Kanta Pages as of 14 July.

All these certificate types will be free for people, and they will available in Finnish, Swedish and English.

The national COVID-19 vaccination certificate will be updated to the EU Digital COVID Certificate earlier than planned so that people would have prompt access to a vaccination certificate that is interoperable across the EU.

The EU Digital COVID Certificate will be available in the My Kanta Pages before any other EU COVID-19 certificates, because in case of the EU Digital COVID Certificate it was possible to partially utilise the technical implementation of the national vaccination certificate.

In future, certificates of other vaccinations will also be available in the My Kanta Pages.

The EU Digital COVID Certificate can be used when crossing borders within the EU. The purpose of the certificate is to facilitate safe and free movement. Member States decide themselves if they want to use the certificate for other purposes.

The content and accuracy of the EU Digital COVID Certificate can be checked using a digital scanning app. In Finland, the scanning app will be available as of 1 July, and it can be used by health authorities, border authorities and executive assistance authorities, such as the police and the Defence Forces.

In the country of origin in respect of people travelling to Finland. In this case, transport operators may, if they so wish and based on an agreement, require a certificate from travellers.

Upon arrival in Finland. In this case, health authorities and executive assistance authorities are responsible for checking certificates under the Communicable Diseases Act.

Upon departure from Finland. In this case, transport operators may have to check certificates if the countries of destination so require on the basis of an agreement.