Finnair to accept COVID-19 vaccination certificate from 11 May

The national flag carrier Finnair will start accepting certificates of getting the first vaccination dose on its Finland-bound flights from 11 May.

The vaccination certificate will be accepted as an alternative to negative coronavirus infection test result or a certificate of a previous COVID-19 infection, said Finnair in a press release on Friday.

In line with a recommendation made by the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare (THL), Finnair has since late January required that all passengers travelling to Finland, excluding transfer passengers, present either a negative coronavirus infection test certificate or an immunity/recovery certificate as a prerequisite for boarding.

In addition, as of 11 May, there will be no requirement for children under the age of 16 to present a health certificate but Finnair recommends children between 12 and 15 years of age arrive with proof of negative coronavirus infection test result. This is to speed up the arrival procedures at Helsinki Airport, where passengers with a negative test result will be exempt from taking the test on arrival.

“Vaccines have proven their power in fighting the pandemic, and vaccination certificates will play a key role in the upcoming EU Digital Green Certificate to ensure the health and safety of travellers,” said Finnair Medical Director Kimmo Ketola.

Finnair will accept vaccination certificates for all COVID-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) or the European Medical Agency (EMA).

The vaccine needs to be administered at least 21 days before the travel date. The certificate will need to include the customer’s name, date of birth, the name of the vaccine producer, the time and place the vaccine was administered, as well as the issuer of the certificate.

As an alternative to the vaccination certificate, customers may present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result or a certificate of having COVID-19 in the past. Travellers can find more information on the certificates to be required on Finnair’s travel updates web page.