Israel to make travel easier with EU COVID digital passport program

The program is expected to come into effect in early October, according to a joint statement.

This coronavirus travel program will allow vaccinated and recovered Israelis to travel to EU member states and other program member countries and have their certificate recognized by their destination country. At the same time, travelers from member countries will also have their vaccination and recovery certificates recognized in Israel.

The Department of Health has yet to decide whether it will allow people with test certificates to participate.

The program also gives Israelis access to the EU’s green pass, which grants access to restaurants, cultural centers, public institutions and the like in accordance with each country’s coronavirus guidelines.

It also sets the stage for opening up the Israeli tourism sector to European visitors.

“The ability to travel and visit the world is a basis for securing ties between peoples and countries,” Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said.

Vials with labels of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine can be seen in this illustrative photo taken on March 19, 2021. (Credit: REUTERS / DADO RUVIC / ILLUSTRATION / FILE PHOTO)

The EU started using the program among member states on July 1, 2021. It has since spread to neighboring countries; By the time Israel officially launches membership, there should be between 35 and 40 participating states.

Some of the other countries involved in the program are Morocco and Turkey.

Here’s how it works: The Ministry of Health has its own digital signing key, which is stored in a secure database in the country. At the same time, all vaccinated Israelis have a personal but public key that was assigned at the time of vaccination. This personal key can be verified by scanning a secure QR code which can be placed on a digital or physical certificate.

The code only contains the necessary key information such as name, date of birth, date of vaccine issue and any other relevant information about the vaccine. It also contains a unique identifier.

When the code is scanned, for example by a border officer, the data is not shared and it is not captured, transferred or stored in any way by the person or country performing the scan. Rather, it remains on the certificate. However, the scanner can confirm the validity and authenticity of the certificate and who issued and signed it.

IT WORKS because the European Commission has built a ‘gateway’ through which all certificate signatures can be verified by any country that joins the program. Israel had been working on a similar concept and therefore slightly modified its own design to meet the common design standards of the European Commission.

As early as December 2020, the Ministry of Health examined the possibility of a standardized passport or vaccination certificate program that could be used by all international travelers who meet the medical criteria. The World Health Organization opposed such certificates, in large part because the organization felt that “the use of certificates of immunity for international travel in the context of COVID-19 is currently not not supported by scientific evidence “.

However, since then much research has been carried out on the impact of vaccination on the occurrence and spread of the disease, and it is understood that vaccines, while not foolproof, prevent the spread of disease.

In a December report on the subject, the WHO also cited “ethical, legal and human rights aspects related to the confidentiality of personal data and medical confidentiality; the potential for tampering with or engaging in risky behavior based on a false sense of security; stigma; and discrimination ”as reasons for reconsidering certificates.

The EU’s COVID digital certificate program largely addresses most of these issues, and joining the EU’s program would alleviate the need for Israel to create its own international travel program.

Israel had engaged in a dialogue on concluding bilateral agreements with countries over the past year until multilateral agreements, like this one, could be put in place. The country also shared best practices and consulted with other countries on how best to run a certificate program.

A spokesperson for the health ministry said the move represents “revolutionary progress” and a “really important step forward”.

It should be emphasized, however, that the program does not alleviate the need to follow the COVID rules of any destination country.

For example, foreigners wishing to enter Israel will still need to apply and meet the country’s criteria. Travelers will still need to take a PCR test within 72 hours of boarding their plane and landing.

However, they would no longer need to verify their vaccination or recovery by showing they have antibodies through a serological test.

“This is how we will work in all walks of life,” said Horowitz, “a decisive fight against the virus and a great vaccination effort while keeping the economy open.”