Cyprus airports to accept EUDCC on July 1

The Cabinet that convened Wednesday, amended the Action Plan for the operation of airports to include the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) which will be issued by the EU Member States, as well as by the countries of the European Economic Area and by the Switzerland.

The Cabinet was chaired by Acting President of the Republic, President of the House of Representatives, Annita Demetriou, due to the absence of the President of the Republic, Nikos Anastasiades, abroad.

As Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Yiannis Karousos stated after the Cabinet meeting, EUDCC will be accepted as of July 1st. The Republic of Cyprus, he added, will accept specific certificates for travel to its airports.

These include Vaccination Certificates, showing that the vaccination has been completed with the required number of doses and the specified by the Ministry of Health, number of days has elapsed between the administration of the last dose (depending on the vaccine administered to them) and the travel date. Acceptable vaccination certificates are those with one of the approved vaccines of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), or with the Sputnik V vaccine or with the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine (BBIBP COVID-19).

Also, Vaccination Certificates showing vaccination with one dose of a two-dose vaccine (approved by the EMA or Sputnik V or Sinopharm) and in addition stating that the person has recovered from COVID-19 disease.

According to the Minister from 1 July there will be a transitional period of six weeks, during which either the digital certificate or the conventional certificate that was valid until today will be accepted. After the six week period, he added, the Republic of Cyprus will only accept digital certificates issued by the European Commission. The reason, as he said, is because these categories are exempt from any restrictions and thus there will be certainty that the certificate that is uploaded to Cyprus Flight Pass will be authentic.

Cyprus airports will also accept Certificate of recovery 14 after the date of sampling of the positive RT-PCR result valid for 180 days from the date of sampling. It is noted that only European digital recovery certificates from the public authorities of the Member States, including the European Economic Area and Switzerland, will be accepted.

The Republic of Cyprus also accepts PCR - RT laboratory test certificate, with sampling performed during the last 72 hours before the trip, proving a negative PCR for COVID-19.

It is noted that the existing 72 hours PCR - RT laboratory test certificates are already being accepted in the Republic of Cyprus. The difference with the entry into force of the European Regulation is that these certificates will be issued in digital form, ensuring their authenticity.

Regarding the holders of PCR laboratory test certificates, whether digital or not, the existing procedure will be followed in the electronic platform CyprusFlightPass, related to the categorization of countries (green, orange, red and grey category).

It is noted that the Ministry of Health, where it deems necessary, will carry out sampling checks and no passenger is exempt from sampling checks.

Finally, it is clarified that passengers traveling to Cyprus must post their digital certificate on the Cyprus Flight Pass online platform.

He also said that the airports will continue to operate by categorizing the countries in green, orange and red with the same restrictions that existed until today. At the same time, the grey category in which you need a special permit to enter the Republic is also maintained.

The Minister also said that the protocols followed in Cyprus are perhaps the strictest in the world. He reminded that Cyprus was the first country to prepare a protocol with categorization of countries, it was the first country that required a negative coronavirus laboratory test and perhaps the only country that required two laboratory tests for countries considered to be high risk and which have been categorized as red. He also said that those traveling from an orange country must take their laboratory test in advance, while those who have been vaccinated are exempt from any restrictions.