Last update: October 27th, 2021.
The EU-wide use of the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) is in full swing, and Belgium has been issuing certificates successfully since mid-June.
Belgium has been facilitating restriction-free travel across Europe with the EUDCC and has been using the COVID Safe Ticket for local use.
As COVID-19 cases surge and vaccine uptake hits a plateau, the COVID Safe Ticket for Belgium becomes more prominent locally, in the hopes of promoting vaccination.
“Last week we saw a 70% increase in terms of infections,” explained Prime Minister Alexander De Croo in a press conference on October 26th.
COVID pass app for Belgium: CovidSafeBE
Citizens can store the certificate on their phones and authenticate the certificate by using the CovidSafeBE app.
Getting a COVID certificate in Belgium is simple. Just follow 3 simple steps:
- Step 1: Download the CovidSafeBE app using the App Store (for Apple) or Google Play (for Android).
- Step 2: Verify your identity using eHealth or with the digital ID app ItsMe, also available on both App Store and Google Play.
- Step 3: View or download your COVID certificate as needed.
If digital access is limited, citizens can phone local call centers to receive a certificate by post. This is only advisable for those seeking the vaccine certificate and not the PCR certificate, as it is subject to delays.
What is the Covid Safe Ticket in Belgium?
Just like France’s Pass Sanitaire or Italy’s Green Pass, Belgium has a local COVID certificate.
Known as the Covid Safe Ticket (CST), it grants vaccinated or tested citizens safe access to non-essential businesses.
The CST, available on the CovidSafeBE app, has been implemented more strictly in the regions of Belgium which show higher infection rates.
Barbara van der Haute from Digital Flanders explains that CovidSafeBE works similarly to the EUDCC that most citizens already have.
“Both certificates use QR codes that appear on your smartphone via the CovidSafeBE app. The CST will color red if your negative PCR test is older than 48 hours if you are checked entering an event, while at the airport the same code will color green allowing you to travel” said Van der Haute.
Covid Safe Ticket restrictions in Brussels
There have been tighter entry restrictions at various establishments across Belgium, but not all citizens are accepting the new rules.
In Brussels, anti-vax groups gathered to protest the latest guidelines regarding the Covid Safe Ticket in Belgium.
Since October 15th, the Belgian COVID passport has been mandatory in Brussels if citizens wish to enter bars and restaurants, nightclubs, indoor sport and fitness centers, fairs and congresses, culture and recreation establishments, and healthcare centers.
Starting on Friday, October 29th, masks will become mandatory again in shops, healthcare centers, cultural venues, fitness centers and religious centers. However, this mask mandate can be avoided by requiring that patrons hold a Covid Safe Ticket.
Covid Safe Ticket fines in Belgium
The Covid Safe Ticket will be effective in Belgium until January 15th, 2022. Patrons who do not comply face fines between €50 and €500.
The onus also lies with event organizers and the owners of establishments to correctly monitor CSTs. Failure to do so can lead to a three-month suspension of operation and fines of between €50 and €2,500.
Wallonia and Flanders to use Covid Safe Ticket from November
The southern Belgium region of Wallonia will follow suit and start requiring the Belgian COVID pass from Monday, November 1st. It will also be in use until January 15th, 2022.
A government press release read that “with the exception of health care institutions, the CST allows for the reduction of barrier measures and authorizes the presence of a greater number of people in the same place.”
Everyone above the age of 16 needs to display their CSTs when entering indoor restaurants and bars, hospitals, entertainment areas, and sports facilities.
Rule breakers in Wallonia will face the same fines as those in Brussels.
The press release also confirmed that the Covid Safe Ticket is not required for essential services. “The pass will not apply to public transport, public services, schools, shops and shopping centers, the workplace and events authorized by local authorities,” it read.
It was recently announced that the region of Flanders would begin following these same Covid Safe Ticket rules in November.
“The Covid Safe Ticket will need to be shown throughout the country for visiting the catering industry and fitness centres from 1 November,” explained De Croo at the press conference.
How does the EU Digital COVID Certificate work in Belgium?
Belgium joined the EUDCC pilot phase to begin issuing the EUDCC before July 1st, which was the official Europe-wide rollout date.
European Commissioner Didier Reynders explained that “[the EUDCC] will make life easier for citizens. It will help them move around the EU, whether for work, family reasons or leisure.”
The EUDCC indicates that the holder has:
- been vaccinated with an EU-approved vaccine
- recently recovered from COVID-19
- recently received a negative COVID-19 test result
The EUDCC is authenticated by a unique QR code that indicates the form of immunization and the holder’s name and identification number.
This information is not stored by any member state other than the one which issued the certificate. This is according to the EU’s vaccine passport data protection legislation, which follows EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Can I travel to Belgium with my local COVID certificate?
Belgium remains open to EU citizens, even if their main country of residence is outside of the Schengen Zone.
Third country COVID certificates are accepted as long as they comply with the following criteria:
- Displays identifying information of the vaccinated person: name, birthdate, and ID number.
- Shows the completion date of the full vaccine course (more than 14 days before arrival) and the date of each vaccination.
- Shows the name of the vaccine received; only accepting EU authorized vaccines.
- Shows the country where the vaccine was received.
- Shows which healthcare center issued the vaccine.
- Shows an authenticating stamp, signature, or QR code.
All passengers, regardless of their nationality, must complete the passenger locator form before arrival and display the QR code that is generated at border control.
COVID-19 travel regulations in Belgium
Countries are color-coded following a traffic-light system to determine entry requirements for Belgium.
Most of the EU member states are currently listed as “green”. Other countries on the green list include Bahrain, Chile, Hong Kong SAR, Kuwait, Macau SAR, New Zealand, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, and the UAE.
Some EU regions are listed as “orange” as well as Canada, Jordan, Qatar, South Korea, and Ukraine. Travelers from orange and green zones don’t have to quarantine, and do not need to take any further PCR tests after arrival.
Entry from “red” zones is more complicated and passengers must quarantine.
If a passenger coming from a red zone is vaccinated, they can test on day 2 and leave quarantine once they have a negative test result.
Unvaccinated travelers coming to Belgium from red zones must quarantine for 10 days, test on days 1 and 7, and present a negative PCR test upon arrival.
The Consultation Committee in charge of regulating border rules will meet again on October 29th to discuss whether or not to ease Belgium’s travel restrictions with the UK.
Travelers to Belgium from the UK currently need to provide vaccine certificates and negative PCR tests, a potentially unnecessary measure that could be keeping tourists away.
COVID-19 health situation in Belgium
In late October, Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke announced that a 4th wave of COVID had hit Belgium.
“The numbers are not good. We are clearly in a fourth wave. That in itself was to be expected, but we are going to see a very sharp increase in the numbers in the coming days,” said Vandenbroucke.
“Unfortunately, there will also be a steep increase in the number of hospital admissions. We are going to have to brace ourselves to tackle the fourth wave,” he warned.
Vandenbroucke is advocating for remote work as much as possible, stricter implementation of Belgium’s green pass, and mandating face masks.
In one week, COVID cases and hospital admissions rose sharply, which is a great cause for concern. On October 26th, 5,847 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Belgium.
Close to 17 million vaccine doses have been administered and almost 74% of Belgium’s population has been fully vaccinated.