What is the EU digital covid certificate and do I need one to travel abroad?
THE BIGGEST STORIES ACROSS BRISTOL IN YOUR INBOX Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. SIGN UP Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice  With coronavirus still raging around the world and foreign travel still restricted in many countries, some authorities are asking for proof of negative tests or vaccination before they let travellers in. The European Union, for example, has launched its digital covid certificate scheme, which aims to facilitate travel around the bloc of 27 member states and other European neighbours. The certificates, which are effectively covid passports in all but name, allow you to travel if you've either been vaccinated against Covid-19, recently tested negative for the virus, or were previously infected and so possess some natural immunity. READ MORE: Met Office hour-by-hour forecast as heavy rain and hail heads for Bristol  The EU's digital covid certificate allows restrictions on free movement within the bloc to be waived, meaning eligible people can travel within the EU without having to quarantine or undergo testing before or after travelling. However, the UK is not currently part of the European Union's digital covid certificate scheme. Instead, the NHS app can display your vaccination status, though you can also request a paper copy online or by calling 119. The EU as a bloc does not currently recognise the NHS app, but some individual countries, such as Greece and Spain, are accepting it from British residents travelling abroad. Negotiations are ongoing between the UK and EU over mutual recognition of the two systems. Only EU residents can apply for the digital covid certificate. This includes EU citizens who were vaccinated in the UK, though it is up to your home country to decide if you are eligible for the EU certificate. Some reports have also said non-EU residents travelling to an EU country can apply to that country's authorities to be granted an EU digital covid certificate - it's not clear how one would go about doing this or if this will change, after the recent UK government announcement on amber list countries. There's plenty of options if you want to stay local and still have a break. We've rounded up some of the best options for a UK holiday in 2021. Holiday cottages and cabins: With properties in pretty much every corner of the UK and something for every type of family, Sykes Holiday Cottages have a number of deals for school holidays and term time. New coronavirus measures are in place so you know your holiday is covid safe. Or get back to nature with a Forest Holiday, with cabins set in beautiful woodland. Holiday parks: There's something for everyone at the big name holiday parks. Haven has deals starting at as little as 179, while Pontins has a huge number of offers and free room upgrades on selected breaks. Hotel deals: If you don't fancy self catering or fancy a city break then Booking.com has rounded up some of the best hotel deals for the summer, you can book attractions and car rental too. This article contains affiliate links, we may receive a commission on any sales we generate. The certificate can be in both digital and paper format, has a QR code, and is free of charge. It is valid in all EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, and Vatican city. There is a QR code on the certificate which has a digital signature to protect against false ones  The QR code will be scanned and the signature will be verified  Each authority (hospital, test centre, health authority etc.) has its own digital signature, which are in a secure database in every country  The European Commission's gateway can verify the certificate signatures. Your personal data won't pass through  Download the Bristol Live app See our best content via our dedicated smartphone apps and keep up to date on all our breaking news stories - including the latest on crime, business, travel and weather. You can also read all our latest What's On content and entertainment stories. Just one quick download and you can read our content on the move without being online. Only see the news that interests you - just select the topics you want to display on the app's homepage. Most importantly you can now get push notifications through to your mobile, which will pop up on your screen like a text message. To get the Bristol Live app visit the App Store here for iOS devices, and on the Google Play store here to download the app on Android. You can get a digital covid certificate after having received any Covid-19 vaccine. Free movement restrictions are waived as long as that vaccine has been approved for use by the European Union. Individual EU countries may also decide to extend this waiver to other vaccines. The main covid vaccines in use in the UK at present - Oxford/AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Pfizer - are all approved for use in the EU. PCR tests - the kind sent off to a laboratory for analysis - can be done up to 72 hours before travel. Rapid tests - the sort that give you an instant result at home - can be done up to 48 hours before travel. Applications are handled by your EU country's health authority or government. The EU advises: "National authorities are in charge of issuing the certificate. It could, for example, be issued by test centres or health authorities, or directly via an eHealth portal. "Information on how to get the certificate should be provided by the national health authorities."