Georgantas: Amendment to allow Greek systems to 'register' those vaccinated abroad

"If not today, then tomorrow, an amendment will be tabled by the health ministry, in collaboration with the digital governance ministry, according to which two new registers will be created: a register of those vaccinated abroad and a register of those that have recovered from Covid-19 abroad. This will provide a solution, though there must first be a processing of the certificates that will be submitted," Georgantas said.

He noted that these were of two types, those that can be digitally verified and those that cannot, adding that verification in the second instance will take longer.

"Once these two registers are set up, then these people will have the right, once they have registered and given that their certificate will have been recognised as valid and reliable, to either issue a European digital certificate so that they can circulate freely or to have a booster shot," the minister added.

The system does not currently recognise many Covid certificates issued outside of Greece, nor does it allow those vaccinated abroad to book an appointment for a third shot of the vaccine.

Georgantas underlined that there was no globally interoperable system for certificates issued by all countries, though the EU had its own that also included 16 countries outside its ranks, such as Israel, Norway, Iceland and Turkey.