The UAE is working in collaboration with the European Union’s Digital Covid Certificate system to ensure ease for Emirates' vaccinated nationals and residents to travel to EU member states.

 Speaking with the Khaleej Times, an official with the EU delegation affirmed that vaccinated citizens and residents can use the Al Hosn mobile app in the same way the EU Digital Pass is being used during their travel.

The European Union launched the Digital Pass initiative during Summer 2021 to allow users to travel within the bloc. Similar to Al Hosn app, users of the EU Digital Covid Certificate can present their vaccination status and negative RT-PCR status using a QR code.

The official added that the app will soon be updated with technical changes to allow QR codes of both Al Hosn and EU Digital Pass to be readable in both the UAE and the EU.

"In order for it to work there should be a new pass added to Al Hosn App called ‘Alhosn EU Pass’, similar to the ‘Expo 2020 Dubai Pass’," he explained.

As of now, 28 non-EU countries and territories, are added to the EU Digital Covid Certificate system, including Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Lebanon, Israel, Singapore, Ukraine and Togo.

Welcoming the new development, heads of European tourism departments, including Matthias Albrecht, GCC director for Switzerland Tourism, underlined that such agreements are aimed at making travel easier and safer for people across the world.

With many countries reinitiating their lockdown measures in view of soaring cases of COVID-19 in the continent, travellers from the UAE are also eyeing ‘safer destinations’ to travel to during the upcoming holidays season. The UAE authorities have called on all passengers to stay updated with the travel restrictions and changes in their destination countries before planning their travel itinerary.