Can tourists and visitors to Germany get the digital vaccine certificate?

People in Germany have to show their vaccine certificate, proof of Covid recovery or a negative Covid-19 test (known as the 3G rules) to enter most public indoor spaces, like restaurants, cinemas, shows or events.

Readers of The Local regularly ask us how this system affects tourists or people visiting the country. Can these groups of people access the EU digital Covid-19 vaccination certificate in Germany?

It's no wonder that people are unsure about the rules - they are not very clear. We looked at the latest information and contacted the Health Ministry to find out the latest on the situation. 

First of all - do I need to be vaccinated to visit Germany?

This depends on where you are coming from. Germany has different travel rules in place depending on the origin country. In general, if you are coming from a non-EU country, you have to be vaccinated (there are exceptions for children under 12). 

If you're coming from an EU country - or a so-called safe country - then you don't necessarily have to be vaccinated. 

But anyone entering the country - regardless of the method of transport - has to have proof of either a vaccination certificate, recovery of Covid or a negative Covid test. 

For the vaccination proof, the German government says: "The EU Digital Covid Certificate or comparable proof of vaccination in German, English, French, Italian or Spanish must be presented upon entry."

This is usually asked for before boarding a flight. There may be spot checks if you're driving to Germany, although readers report that it doesn't happen often. 

READ ALSO: What you need to know about Covid tests when visiting Germany 

Do you need a digital vaccination certificate?

Not for entry into Germany. The German government says the vaccination certificate can be in paper or digital form. But it must be a vaccine approved in the EU (Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson and Johnson), and include details such as your name and date of birth.

But some states may require a digital certificate when entering public indoor spaces. 

For instance, in Berlin, since the end of September, people now have to show digital proof that can be verified when they enter 2G spaces. 2G entry is only for vaccinated (geimpft) and recovered people (genesen). Under these rules unvaccinated people are generally not allowed to enter. 

Those without a smartphone can present the QR code printed out for their digital vaccination certificate.

It is aimed at helping "prevent falsification and create standardisation," the Berlin Senate said.

In Berlin, event organisers or restaurant owners can decide for themselves whether to allow only vaccinated or recovered people (2G) or also tested people (3G). 

Several other states, including Hamburg, Hesse, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Saxony, Lower Saxony and Baden-Württemberg, also have the 2G option. Always check local regulations as rules can change. 

What's the EU Covid vaccination certificate in Germany?

Germany launched its version of the EU digital vaccination certificate in June.

People who are fully inoculated can go to a pharmacy with evidence of their vaccination and photo ID and receive the digital vaccine pass (known in Germany as the Impfpass or Impfnachweis).

The EU digital vaccination certificate. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Stefan Puchner

It comes in the form of a QR code printed on paper that can be scanned onto an app in your smartphone. The paper document with the code on it can also be used for scanning if people do not have a smartphone. 

Those who want the digital certificate can upload it to a phone – either in the CovPass app or the Corona Warn app. People are counted as fully vaccinated in Germany two weeks after the last jab. 

READ ALSO: ‘Makes life easier’: What foreigners in Germany think about the new digital vaccine pass

Those vaccinated in a centre or at a doctor’s clinic may receive the QR code from the medics there. But if not, lots of pharmacies are now giving out the digital passes. 

People who've had Covid and one jab can also get the certificate. 

READ ALSO: How to get your digital Covid vaccine pass in Germany for EU travel

Can people visiting Germany get this digital certificate?

Here's where it gets a little tricky. The official line from the German government is that to get the Covid-19 vaccine certificate, you need to have a point of contact with Germany. For instance if you live or work in Germany. 

A Health Ministry spokesman told us: "In principle, the issuance of a digital Covid-19 vaccination certificate of the EU (digital covid certificate or DCC) requires a point of contact (see § 1 paragraph 1 of the Coronavirus Vaccination Ordinance) in Germany.

"This is the case, for example, if persons have health insurance or are resident in Germany, but also persons who work in Germany but live abroad can subsequently claim a digital Covid vaccination certificate free of charge," said the spokesman.

This would also apply to students studying in Germany.

In these cases you can show proof of your vaccination - even if you weren't vaccinated in Germany. 

For those in the EU who don't have a base in Germany - for instance if you are just coming to Germany on holiday from Spain - the government says you should get the digital certificate issued in your home country.

"Tourists from other EU countries who do not have any of the above-mentioned criteria are recommended to have the DCC issued in their home country before departure," said the Health Ministry spokesman. 

For non-EU citizens it gets even more confusing. The government says the laws around if a non-EU tourist in Germany can get the digital EU vaccination are still being figured out.

"The conditions under which DCCs are also issued to third-country nationals who are not entitled to vaccination in Germany under German law are currently being clarified," said the spokesman. 

So what can I take from this?

The topic of Covid health passes to enter areas will get more important in the winter months when most activities move indoors.

If you don't have a digital vaccination certificate from your home country, it may be no problem at all. But, as we mentioned above, some places like Berlin are looking for a verifiable QR code rather than a paper version. Although this can vary from business to business. 

One thing that many readers have told us is that pharmacies have offered the digital vaccination pass when they show proof of vaccination. So it is possible to go to a pharmacy and ask if they will change it. There's no guarantee that they will, but it might be worth asking.

READ ALSO: How I got Germany’s new digital CovPass with my US vaccination certificate