IRISH CITIZENS WHO received an authorised Covid-19 vaccine outside of the EU will be able to obtain a Digital Covid-19 Certificate.

Irish passport holders, starting with people living in Northern Ireland, can apply for a certificate as proof of vaccination if they have received a vaccine against Covid-19 authorised for use in Ireland.

The relevant vaccines are those from Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

The online portal will first accept applications from Irish citizens aged 18 and older who were vaccinated in Northern Ireland and hold a Northern Irish Covid vaccination certificate with a QR code.

Applicants must hold a valid Irish Passport and the Northern Irish Covid vaccination certificate with a QR code that was issued by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.

From 21 October, the portal will then accept applications from Irish citizens vaccinated in all countries outside the EU, except those which issue Covid certificates that are already accepted under the same conditions as the EU Digital Covid Certificate, such as Albania, Iceland, Morocco and Norway. Applicants will need to have a valid Irish passport and proof of vaccination from the relevant issuing authority in the country where they were vaccinated.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that the certificates have “helped support the safe reopening of our society and facilitated the recommencement of non-essential travel”.

“I am delighted to announce that today we are expanding the service to allow Irish passport-holders who have been vaccinated outside of the EU to access an EU Digital Covid Certificate,” Donnelly said.

“This service will be made available to Irish citizens who have been vaccinated in Northern Ireland from today, with the service extending to other Irish citizens in October.”

Minister of State for European Affairs Thomas Byrne said that the current system has facilitated the “free movement of people across the European Union since its launch at the beginning of the summer”.

“The Digital Covid Certificate is an excellent example of how EU solidarity and cooperation has been vital in enabling us to overcome the many challenges posed by the pandemic,” Byrne said.

“I am very pleased that today’s announcement will facilitate Irish passport holders living outside the EU who are already fully vaccinated with an EMA-approved vaccine to exercise their rights as EU citizens to travel freely within the Union, including in travelling back to Ireland.”

As of Monday, 3.919 million digital certificates have been issued in Ireland.