A EU official told Reuters that the European Commission has adopted rules that make the COVID- 19 certificate valid for travel nine months after the completion of the primary vaccination schedule.
The rules will be binding on 27 EU states from Feb. 1, the official said. The rule can be blocked by a qualified majority of EU governments or a simple majority of European Parliament members, but officials have said there is sufficient support for it.
The EU Commission put forward a non-binding recommendation in November.
After the rule is implemented, EU states will be obliged to let fully vaccinated travellers with valid pass access to their territory. As an exception justified by a deteriorating situation, they could still impose further requirements, such as negative tests or quarantines, as long as they are proportionate.
Some EU states, including Italy, Portugal and Greece, are currently required to bring fully vaccine from other EU countries to show a negative COVID- 19 test upon arrival, measures that some see as damaging the credibility of the EU pass.
Governments will be able to have a different duration of the COVID 19 pass to get access to events or indoor activities within their territories.
After a booster shot, the validity of the COVID- 19 pass will be extended further without a set limit because there is not enough information about the duration of protection from boosters, the EU official said.
A primary vaccine schedule for COVID 19 is currently composed in the EU of two shots of vaccine produced by Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Moderna, or a single jab of Johnson's vaccine.