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The signatories take a commemorative photograph after granting final approval for COVID-19 passports Monday in Brussels. From left: Prime Minister Antonio Costa of Portugal (which currently holds the EU presidency), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President David Sassoli. (EPA/Yonhap)

The European Union (EU) has granted final approval for the adoption of COVID-19 vaccine passports in all member countries as of July 1.

The website Schengen Visa, which contains global visa information concerning the Schengen Agreement (which allows visa-free travel between EU members), reported Tuesday that the three main bodies of the EU — the European Parliament, European Commission and Council of the European Union — had officially signed an agreement on COVID-19 vaccine passports.

The agreement was signed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President David Sassoli and Prime Minister Antonio Costa of Portugal, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.

A vaccine passport is a digital certificate attesting to its holder’s vaccination against COVID-19. The EU plans to issue the passports to people who received vaccines approved for use by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), as well as those who have recovered from or tested negative for COVID-19.

Under the approved regulations, vaccine passport holders are to be exempt from additional travel restrictions such as quarantine and mandatory testing, although exceptions will be made in cases where additional measures are deemed necessary for public health reasons, the website said.

In a joint statement, the three officials said, “The Europe that we all know and that we all want back is a Europe without barriers.”

“The EU Certificate will again enable citizens to enjoy this most tangible and cherished of EU rights — the right to free movement,” they said.

Vaccine passports have been issued since July 1 by a number of European countries, including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Croatia and Poland. Later, Austria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Spain also began issuing the certificates.

Preparations have also been made for vaccine passports in all other EU member countries besides Hungary and Finland, which are still in the test phase, the website said.

By Choi Hyun-june, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]