With the summer holidays officially underway, those going on holiday to a destination that still requires a health certificate should not forget to update their CovidSafe app before travelling.
Some countries – such as Germany, France and Portugal – still require incoming travellers to show their Digital Covid Certificate to prove that they are fully vaccinated, have recently tested negative for Covid-19 or recovered from an infection in the past six months.
However, as many people in Belgium, especially those who got their shots at the beginning of each campaign, have been vaccinated for some time now, it is important to check the validity of your vaccination certificate in time.
"You should therefore retrieve your Covid-19 vaccination certificates within 20 days before departure," is the message users of the CovidSafeBE app get when opening it. "The validity of your certificates may have expired."
Screengrab from CovidSafeBE app.
The basic vaccination certificates of people who only received their basic vaccination (two doses of Pfizer, Moderna or Astrazeneca, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson) are only valid for 270 days (nine months) in EU countries – meaning that the certificate of those vaccinated before 1 October will no longer be valid.
For those who also received a booster dose, and maybe even a second booster dose, the validity of their certificate is unlimited.
However, even for those whose certificates are up to date and valid, updating the CovidSafeBE app remains important, as it is possible that the QR codes on the certificates are no longer valid – even if the certificate itself is.
"The certificates, whether printed on paper or downloaded digitally, contain a QR code," CovidSafeBE app developer Frank Robben told RTBF. "This QR code is created by a signature key that is valid for one year – a standard decided by the European Commission to avoid forgery of keys that are too old."
All EU Member States are subject to the rule, he stressed. "In practice, this means that certificates signed with a signature older than one year are technically no longer valid."
How to recover a valid certificate
Those using the digital CovidSafeBE app can download a new version of their certificate by just logging into the app via their smartphone, click on the "Search for new certificates" button (at the very bottom of the screen) and then log in with 'eHealth' or 'Itsme'.
Users will then see that all their certificates have been renewed for a period of one year; their original certificates will then be moved to the 'expired certificates' box. "For the user, the certificate does not change visually, but the QR code has been adapted for another year," said Robben.
Those who prefer to use the paper certificate are asked to renew their certificates by going to the "myhealth.belgium.be" website, log in with 'Itsme' or an ID card reader, and finally print their document.
In case of any issues or bugs, Flemish residents should call 078 78 78 50, those in Wallonia can contact 071 31 34 93, and people living in the Brussels-Capital Region can phone 02 214 19 19 for specific help.
