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Ireland Introduces COVID Certificate Application Portal for Irish Passport Holders Who Have Been Vaccinated in Third Countries.

The European Union Digital COVID Certificate will be available to Irish citizens who have been properly immunised against the Coronavirus outside of Ireland.

The country's government opened a webpage on Wednesday, September 29 through which Irish passport holders can seek to have their vaccinations validated by getting an EU vaccination certificate.

Stephen Donnelly T.D., Ireland's Minister of Health, has made a statement in this regard stated that the programme, which has resulted in the issuance of almost four million certificates to date, aids in the safe reopening of society and the ease of the resumption of non-essential travel, according to SchengenVisaInfo.com.

“I'm delighted to announce that the programme will be expanded today to allow Irish passport holders who have been vaccinated outside of the EU to obtain an EU Digital COVID Certificate. From today, Irish people who have been vaccinated in Northern Ireland will be able to use this service, with the service being extended to additional Irish citizens in October,” the Minister stated.

On July 19, Irish authorities joined the EU Digital Certificate Gateway, a scheme designed by the EI to make it easier for persons who have finished their vaccination process with any of the vaccinations approved by the European Medicines Agency to travel throughout the bloc (EMA).

All applications from anyone aged 18 and up who get a valid Irish passport and confirm that they have been vaccinated with one of the following vaccines will be accepted, according to a recent announcement by Ireland's government:

• Pfizer-BioNtech Vaccine (Comirnaty)
• Moderna Vaccine (Moderna)
• Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine (Vaxzevria or Covishield)
• Johnson & Johnson/Janssen Vaccine (Janssen)

Minister of State for Public Procurement and eGovernment, Ossian Smyth T.D., expressed his joy with the ruling, saying, "the Irish Government is now free to provide the option of an EU DCC to Irish passport holders who were vaccinated in Northern Ireland."

The programme will be implemented in two phases, according to the Irish government's announcement.

The portal will accept applications from Irish nationals in Northern Ireland who acquire a Northern Ireland COVID vaccination certificate in the first phase, which begins on September 30.

Applicants will need a valid Irish passport and Northern Irish COVID immunisation records with a QR code provided by Ireland's Department of Health, according to the government.

In phase two, which starts on October 21, will accept requests from Irish citizens who have completed their vaccination process in any country outside of the European Union, with the exception of those who have been granted an equality decision, because the COVID documents launched in those countries are approved under the same conditions as the EU Digital COVID Certificate.

Applicants will be needed to provide a valid Irish passport as well as valid proof of vaccination from the authorities where they were  immunised, according to the government of Ireland.

In addition to welcoming visitors from the European Union, the European Economic Area, and the Schengen Zone, Irish authorities previously announced that visitors from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada would be allowed to enter the country, even if the pandemic was still ongoing, if they could show valid proof that they had completed their vaccination process or had revoked their visa.