If you’re travelling to another European country in the coming weeks or months, don’t get caught out by its rules on domestic health passes.

You might not be able to dine indoors at local restaurants, visit the top museums or, in some cases, even check into your hotel without the required proof of vaccination or a negative test. If you don’t check ahead, your holiday could be at risk.

France, Germany, Austria, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal and Greece are among the nations that require a health pass to enter some or all venues. In some destinations, such as Greece, the NHS Covid Pass (obtained via the NHS app) is generally sufficient. In others you may need to verify your Covid Pass through that country’s equivalent system.

Then there are the requirements for under-18s, who (if they live in the UK, at least) are unlikely to be fully vaccinated. In France, for example, everyone over the age of 12 must present a health passport to access its outdoor ski slopes – that is, of course, if they were able to enter the country under its current non-essential travel ban in the first place.

Here, we look at the requirements in major European destinations that have some form of domestic health pass – which are, of course, in addition to their border requirements for international arrivals. Note, this isn’t an exhaustive list, and you should always check the latest information on your destination’s government and Foreign Office websites. 

France

From 3 January, everyone in France who is aged 12 and over will need to demonstrate their Covid status through the “pass sanitaire” in order to access services and venues, the Foreign Office states. This includes leisure facilities, such as bars, restaurants, museums and cinemas, as well as public transport.

Travellers can access the pass sanitaire via the TousAntiCovid app, provided they have certification of full vaccination, proof of recovery from Covid, or a negative test taken within 24 hours. France recognises the NHS Covid Pass for this purpose.

The TousAntiCovid app can be downloaded on Android or iPhones. If you have the app, there is an option to ‘Scan a QR code’ from your test or vaccination certificate. If you don’t have a smartphone, you can show the proof on paper. However, this print out must include a QR code.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex has also pledged to introduce a law in January, which would make vaccination near-mandatory for visiting public venues, and prohibit access with just a negative test.

From January 15, those who are aged 18-64 years old and who have been fully vaccinated for more than seven months will need to demonstrate they have received an approved booster injection in order to access the “pass sanitaire” in France. This also applies to visiting tourists and those residing in France, and tighter rules currently apply for those aged over 65.

France no longer offers free tests for tourists, so there is a charge of €29 (£24.73) for an antigen test and €49 (£41.78) for each PCR test. The test must be taken in France, so you cannot use the pre-travel test for entry to venues.

However, non-essential UK travellers are currently banned from entering France. 

Italy

Since last summer, Italy has required a digital “green pass” to enter venues such as museums, theme parks and theatres, as well as to use public transport and dine indoors at restaurants. This pass confirms that the bearer has been fully-vaccinated, recovered from Covid, or tested negative.