COVID: EU health ministers exempt digital certificate from testing and quarantine

Europe’s ministers of health have recommended that all travellers with a valid EU digital COVID certificate, should be exempt from testing and quarantine.

Notably, this includes a complete primary vaccination series of two doses, with an EU-approved COVID-19 vaccine, issued after 14 days, and valid for nine months.  

However, a two-dose vaccine certificate is only valid for three months in Malta. Instead, it is a vaccine certificate with booster dose that carries a nine-month validity.  

The EU Council also said there should be no requirement for quarantine, self-isolation or testing for those who recovered from COVID-19 and less than 180 days (six months) have passed since the date of the positive test result.

However, Malta recognises vaccine certificates showing recovery from COVID, in addition to one dose of an EMA approved vaccine administered at least 14 days prior to arrival in Malta. 

The decision whether to introduce restrictions on free movement to protect public health however remains the responsibility of member states, the EU said.

The EU digital COVID certificate also includes a negative PCR test result, not more than 72 hours before arrival or a negative antigen test results done not more than 24-hours before arrival. The Council said this category should also be exempt from quarantine and self-isolation.

However, Malta does not accept unvaccinated travellers, unless they are exempt or a resident. 

The Council has revised its recommendations to take into account the status of the person instead of the situation at the regional level. “A person-based approach will substantially simplify the applicable rules and will provide additional clarity and predictability to travellers,” the Council said.

The EU Council said that member states should apply measures regarding travel to and from dark red areas, where the virus is circulating at very high levels. “They should, in particular, discourage all non-essential travel and require persons arriving from those areas which are not in possession of a vaccination or recovery certificate to undergo a test prior to departure and to quarantine after arrival.”