Press release by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland
EU Digital COVID Certificate available in Finland as of 22 June

Finland’s digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate will be updated and made interoperable with the EU Digital COVID Certificate as of 22 June. This means that the EU Digital COVID Certificate will be available to people in the My Kanta Pages starting on 22 June.

The national COVID-19 vaccination certificate will automatically be replaced by the EU Digital COVID Certificate in the My Kanta Pages. A national COVID-19 vaccination certificate stored on a mobile phone or printed out from the My Kanta Pages, for example, should also be replaced by the EU Digital COVID Certificate, which is more widely recognised by the EU Member States.

Currently, over 90 per cent of the vaccinated population can be issued with a digital COVID-19 vaccination certificate. However, some people may have to wait a while before they can view their vaccination certificate, as delays in data transfer to the My Kanta Pages continue to exist in certain areas in June. In future, the certificate will be available in the My Kanta Pages within five days of vaccination.

The aim is that the other EU COVID-19 certificates — i.e. a certificate of a negative COVID-19 test and a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 — will also be available in the My Kanta Pages as of 14 July.

All these certificate types will be free for people, and they will available in Finnish, Swedish and English. 

If you do not use the My Kanta Pages, you can ask your healthcare provider to give you a similar certificate of your COVID-19 vaccination, if a COVID-19 certificate is required for travelling purposes. In July, a national printing and registering service will be introduced for healthcare professionals. This will ensure that the EU Digital COVID Certificate will also be available to those who do not use the My Kanta Pages.

Introduction of EU Digital COVID Certificate brought forward

The national COVID-19 vaccination certificate will be updated to the EU Digital COVID Certificate earlier than planned so that people would have prompt access to a vaccination certificate that is interoperable across the EU. 

The EU Digital COVID Certificate will be available in the My Kanta Pages before any other EU COVID-19 certificates, because in case of the EU Digital COVID Certificate it was possible to partially utilise the technical implementation of the national vaccination certificate.

In future, certificates of other vaccinations will also be available in the My Kanta Pages.

EU Digital COVID Certificate aims to facilitate safe and free movement

The EU Digital COVID Certificate can be used when crossing borders within the EU. The purpose of the certificate is to facilitate safe and free movement. Member States decide themselves if they want to use the certificate for other purposes.

However, you must always check before travelling what kinds of certificates are required in your destination. The Member States will introduce the EU Digital COVID Certificate and the apps for scanning it at different times. This may mean that not all Member States will be ready to issue and verify certificates at the same time. As for other certificates, the Member States decide themselves which certificates they accept from incoming travellers.

As a rule, you should still consider carefully whether or not to travel, as the epidemiological situation varies across countries. Before travelling, you should always check the COVID-19 situation in your destination and, before returning home, you should check the situation in Finland and take care to follow the latest recommendations.

App for scanning certificates to be introduced on 1 July

The content and accuracy of the EU Digital COVID Certificate can be checked using a digital scanning app. In Finland, the scanning app will be available as of 1 July, and it can be used by health authorities, border authorities and executive assistance authorities, such as the police and the Defence Forces.

The COVID-19 certificates can be checked in three different stages:

1. In the country of origin in respect of people travelling to Finland. In this case, transport operators may, if they so wish and based on an agreement, require a certificate from travellers.
2. Upon arrival in Finland. In this case, health authorities and executive assistance authorities are responsible for checking certificates under the Communicable Diseases Act.
3. Upon departure from Finland. In this case, transport operators may have to check certificates if the countries of destination so require on the basis of an agreement.

More information about the guidelines and restrictions on travelling in EU Member States is available on the Re-open EULink to an external websiteOpens in a new tab (europa.eu) website. 

Further information

Inquiries from the public about vaccination certificates available in the My Kanta Pages:

Customer service of the Kanta Services: asiakaspalvelu@kanta.fiLink to an external website 

For media inquiries, please contact the organisations’ communications units in accordance with the theme of the interview as follows: 

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: viestinta@stm.fi  
Funding of the COVID-19 certificate, overall plan, technical specifications, legal issues, EU preparation, uses of the certificate, certificates as part of entry into the country, prevention of COVID-19 in cross-border traffic, model for entry into the country, practices in other countries, Communicable Diseases Act, government proposal on mandatory health checks at borders (amendment to the Communicable Diseases Act)

Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare: info@thl.fiLink to an external website 
National Vaccination Register maintained by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, registering by professionals, regional coverage of information, operating models in healthcare, vaccines administered abroad

Social Insurance Institution of Finland: viestinta@kela.fiLink to an external website 
My Kanta Pages and issuance of COVID-19 certificates in the My Kanta Pages