EU proposes 9-month limit on vaccine validity for travel January 10 onwards

The European Union is recommending a 9-month time limit for the validity of Covid-19 vaccinations for travel into and within the bloc and also is proposing to prioritise vaccinated travelers. The European Commission is proposing that member states should continue welcoming all travelers inoculated with shots approved by the bloc, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. It also called for countries to reopen as of Jan. 10 to all those who have used vaccines approved by the World Health Organization. 

EU Justice Commissi­oner Didier Reynders announced on Thursday a new internal EU travel framework based more on individuals’ vaccination or recovery status than on caseloads in the countries they’re coming from. A separate announcement on the external travel rules is scheduled for later Thursday. The proposed updates introduce the new time limit for the validity of Covid inoculations, making clear that boosters will be needed beyond the 9-month period. But the EU said it wasn’t ready to propose a validity period for certificates issued based on booster shots. 

The commission is also proposing to extend its rules on the EU digital certificate beyond next summer, Reynders said.