Latest updates about the EU Digital COVID Certificate and the COVID-19 passport
The EU Digital COVID Certificate has been deployed as a COVID-19 passport in Finland as from 16 October 2021. In practice, the EU Digital COVID Certificate, which is available from My Kanta Pages or, if necessary, from the healthcare service, can be used as a COVID-19 passport.
People over 16 may be required to have a COVID-19 passport
People aged 16 and older could be required to present a COVID-19 passport. If a person aged 16-17 has not been vaccinated against COVID-19, they must be able to have a COVID-19 test required for the COVID-19 passport free of charge in the public healthcare service.
- Press release of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, 15 October 2021: COVID-19 passport can be introduced, provisions on entry into the country to remain in force (stm.fi) (in Finnish)
THL will provide further guidelines on the matter on its website (thl.fi).
Healthcare units must draw up an operating model for printing out EU Digital COVID Certificates for minors and request an update of the functionality of acting on behalf of a minor for their patient data system. If the functionality has been deployed, it is also possible for parents and guardians to obtain the certificate on behalf of a minor over 10 years of age from My Kanta Pages. If the functionality is not available, a minor can use My Kanta Pages themselves and look up, for example, their own COVID certificate in the system if they have electronic means of identification. If necessary, the healthcare service must provide a paper version of the certificate.
New features for the EU COVID vaccination certificate
The EU vaccination certificate, which acts as a COVID-19 passport, is now available for people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have had one dose of vaccine. The certificate can be used as a COVID-19 passport in Finland and when travelling. The eligibility of the certificate in the country of destination must be checked.
In future, the COVID-19 passport of those who have received a third COVID-19 vaccination will be valid immediately without the 7-day delay in post-vaccination immunity.
COVID vaccination certificate on vaccines given outside the EU
On the recommendation of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, municipalities can grant EU COVID-19 vaccination certificates upon request to persons who have received a COVID-19 vaccine, which is approved by EMA or on the WHO list of vaccines for emergency use, in countries outside the EU or in embassies located in Finland. (Guidance letter of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health 13 October 2021 (stm.fi), in Finnish). ). It has been necessary to make some technical changes to the Kanta Services in order to be able to grant EU Digital COVID Certificates with respect to vaccines given abroad and to make them available via My Kanta Pages. The Kanta Services are technically prepared to grant these certificates. The recording of COVID-19 vaccines given in countries outside the EU can be made with the National printing and recording service (KTKP) (atostek.com) (in Finnish).
An operating model related to granting the EU Digital COVID Certificates is currently being created in municipalities and regions. Matters to be taken into account in the preparation of the operating model:
- Service channels and communications
- Verification of the authenticity of the certificate
- Recording of data with the national printing and recording service (KTKP)
Public municipal healthcare service providers must inform the residents in their area how the application and granting of the EU Digital COVID Certificate has been arranged in their own region.
- Further information: EU Digital COVID Certificate obtained with COVID-19 vaccines given abroad (thl.fi) (in Finnish)
When a certificate cannot be produced or it contains incorrect information
In order for the EU Digital COVID certificates to be produced, it is essential also in future that the vaccination data and test results recorded in the healthcare service are saved in Kanta in accordance with the national specifications and the documentation instructions of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
Clients must not be advised to contact the Kanta Services or THL. The healthcare operator and/or the patient data system supplier are responsible for correcting the data. If the organisation cannot find a reason why the patient is unable to view the data in My Kanta Pages, the system supplier shall help in investigating the matter and, if necessary, issue a fault report to the Kanta Services. It is important to inform customer service professionals of the matter.
Quality of COVID vaccine and test result data
The quality of data of the COVID vaccinations and test results can be monitored with respect to each service provider:
- The proportion of entries that meet the requirements of producing COVID certificates must be checked from the quality report for COVID vaccination entries: COVID-19 vaccination entries in the Kanta Services and the vaccination register (thl.fi), in Finnish
- It must be checked from the quality report for COVID-19 tests that the percentage figure in the column “Todistuksen tiedot OK” is as high as possible: COVID-19 laboratory test results archived in Kanta by organisations (thl.fi), in Finnish
If the report indicates that there is a quality-related problem, the system supplier must be contacted in the first instance. If certificates are not produced, the matter should be communicated within the organisation and also to clients.
Further information
- Questions concerning the COVID-19 vaccination report: rokotusrekisteri@thl.fi
- Questions concerning the COVID-19 test report: sotetiedonhallinta@thl.fi
- Questions concerning the Kanta Services: kanta@kanta.fi
- THL is responsible for the national guidance on data entry: sotetiedonhallinta@thl.fi
- COVID-19 certificate: instructions for healthcare professionals (thl.fi), in Finnish
- Travel information and restrictions concerning the EU countries have been gathered on the Re-open EU website (reopen.europa.eu).
- Vaccine series accepted in Finland (thl.fi)
- Recording instructions and an educational video for vaccines accepted by the EU have been added to the website of Atostek, the system supplier of the KTKP service: eRA: National printing and recording service KTKP (atostek.com), in Finnish
- Recording of vaccines given in third countries, temporary instruction (youtube.com) in Finnish
- COVID vaccination certificate on vaccines given outside the EU (thl.fi), in Finnish