The European Commission has adopted a new equivalence decision certifying that the COVID-19 certificates issued by Lebanon are equivalent to the EU COVID digital certificate.
The EU COVID digital certificate is proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative PCR test result, or has recovered from COVID-19. It was launched by the European Commission on July 1, 2021 to facilitate the free and safe movement of people during the pandemic in the European Union Fifty-six countries and territories on five continents have since joined the system, non-members of the EU connecting via an equivalence decision.
By obtaining this equivalence with the EU digital certificate, Lebanon joined the EU system. This means that people who have been vaccinated in Lebanon and who are traveling in the Schengen area can now use their vaccination certificates to move freely and safely across the continent. The vaccines accepted for travel to Europe are those recognized by the European Medicines Agency, i.e. Comirnaty (BioNTech and Pfizer), Spikevax (Moderna), Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca) and COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen. At the same time, Lebanon has agreed to recognize the certificates of people traveling to Lebanon with a digital certificate from the EU or a vaccine certificate from a country that has also achieved EU equivalence.
Beyond the resumption of safe travel, the decision of equivalence is an important step for Lebanon in its response to the evolution of the pandemic. In recent months, the European Union has provided technical support to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health for the development of its own COVID digital certificate and mobile application. The mobile app, currently under review, provides the Ministry of Public Health with the technology to verify COVID vaccine certificates securely, for example at the airport or other public facilities. Vaccination certificates eligible in Lebanon are those recognized by local authorities. The Ministry of Public Health is currently investigating the possibility of including negative results of recovery PCR tests and certificates in the system.
Ralph Tarraf, European Union Ambassador to Lebanon, said: “Together with the Ministry of Public Health, we have developed the computer system and technology behind a certified and secure digital COVID certificate for Lebanon. It goes beyond facilitating travel to and from Europe. This will help Lebanon manage its response to the virus, especially during the upcoming holiday period. “
The Commission’s decision will enter into force on December 10, 2021. All decisions are available online . More information on the EU digital COVID certificate can be found on the dedicated website .
