[WATCH] Malta unveils COVID-19 vaccine certificate online system

A COVID-19 vaccine certificate can be obtained online from tomorrow as government plans to use this to reopen some social activities.

People who receive their second dose of the vaccine will be able to register online but the certificate will only be issued after 14 days have lapsed from the date of the second dose.

The online platform certifikatvaccin.gov.mt will go live at midnight on Monday and people can either download the certificate on their smartphone or have it printed.

The announcement was made this afternoon by Prime Minister Robert Abela and Health Minister Chris Fearne.

A sample of the COVID-19 certificate

Abela urged people to get vaccinated since those in possession of the certificate will be allowed to visit relatives at homes for the elderly inside their room and eventually even take them out.

The certificate will also allow the country to reopen some social activities for those who are vaccinated.

The certificate will enable fully-vaccinated people to remove their mask in public if with someone who is also vaccinated. 

Abela said the system Malta is adopting will eventually be part of the EU common vaccine certificate system when this comes into place.

The card with the vaccination details that people are given when getting inoculated does not replace the vaccine certificate.

Giving a breakdown of the vaccine rollout, Fearne confirmed that invitations to children aged between 12 and 15 will be issued after exams are over in June.

However, he added that any parent who feels that their child, for medical reasons, needs to have the vaccine before, can make their claim by sending an email to [email protected].

From tomorrow, travellers to Malta will be denied boarding unless they can produce a negative COVID-19 PCR test or a vaccination certificate.

The rules came into force over the past couple of days and will be applicable from 1 June. They also apply to Maltese and residents of Malta returning to the island. Children under five years of age are exempt from the requirements.

515,662 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered so far, with 208,118 fully vaccinated. 

READ MORE: Tourists will be denied boarding if they don't have a negative COVID-19 test or vaccine certificate

Key points:

• To receive a COVID-19 vaccine certificate you have to apply on certifikatvaccin.gov.mt
• The system goes live at midnight 31 May
• You can apply only after receiving the second dose, or the single jab Janssen vaccine
• The certificate is issued electronically only after 14 days have lapsed from the date of the second dose
• The certificate can be downloaded on your smartphone or else printed
• Those who are technologically challenged can ask a relative to print the certificate for them
• The card given to you when you get the jab is not a COVID-19 vaccine certificate
• From 1 June, anybody visiting Malta, including Maltese and residents returning from abroad have to present a negative PCR test or a recognised vaccine certificate prior to boarding
• Children above 5 and under-12, who are not eligible for the vaccine, will have to get tested after returning to Malta
• Children under-5 are exempted from the travel requirements
• List of foreign COVID vaccine certificates recognised by Malta will be updated regularly pending EU-wide system
• COVID vaccine certificate to be used to access certain social events