Most European countries have fully reopened to people vaccinated with the three U.S. vaccines, and it has largely returned to normal to apply in the U.S. for Schengen tourist visas for many European countries. China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines have also been approved by the European Medicines Agency and are recognized by most European countries, but applying for a vaccine passport using the methods in this article may be more difficult for those vaccines (possibly only). Starting in November, the U.S. entry ban on travelers from European countries will also be lifted and replaced by vaccine requirements, making it easier to return to the U.S. if you hold a U.S. visa.

Although most of Europe has reopened, quite a few countries still require travelers to obtain the EU Digital COVID Certificate (which can record vaccination or COVID test results) for entry. Even if the border accepts the U.S. CDC vaccination card, it is still less convenient than the EU Digital COVID Certificate. And within the country as well—for example, in Switzerland and France—unvaccinated people face more restrictions, and you may need to show proof of vaccination even to dine indoors at a restaurant. In those situations, the CDC card is not very convenient, and being able to show an EU COVID QR code on your phone becomes especially important.

Fortunately, if you have a non-European vaccination record, there are now several ways to obtain a standardized European vaccine certificate. This article covers the main practical options. In principle, you are supposed to apply for the vaccine passport in the destination you will be visiting, but in practice that is hard to verify during an online application.

France Pass Sanitaire

France was one of the first to announce an online application system for a COVID vaccine passport.

Pass sanitaire application: Click here

First register an account, then fill out the application and upload the required documents. Additional materials include your dates of entry to and departure from France, and your flight itinerary. Note: the form does not include an option for Chinese vaccines.

France’s vaccine passport application website looks very polished, and the interface is especially nice. But it may also have inherited the French tradition of taking things a bit slowly, because processing has been extremely slow. The official website says the average processing time is 14 days, but the author still had no response after more than 20 days. Many people were not approved until after they had already returned to the U.S., and were then rejected because it was “no longer needed.” If your trip is coming up very soon, the author does not strongly recommend using France to obtain your vaccine certificate.

Once approved, you can download the Tous Anti Covid app on your phone and scan the QR code in the PDF certificate to save it to your device.

Switzerland COVID Zertifikat

Although Switzerland is not an EU member state, it has joined the unified vaccine certificate system. Several cantonal governments currently offer free online conversion services for vaccination records. Their websites are relatively basic, but based on many people’s experiences, they are extremely efficient. Below are a few cantons the author recommends because their requirements are fairly low. Other cantons also accept applications. However, according to reports, on October 11 the Swiss federal government will launch a vaccine passport conversion website for all visitors to Switzerland, but each application will cost 30 Swiss francs (about $32). That may mean these canton-level conversion services could stop.

Swiss COVID Certificate app download: iOS, Android

Canton of Lucerne

Application: Click here

The application is very simple: you only need to upload your CDC card. The webpage is in German, but you can use Google Translate. The form asks for the date of your visit to the Canton of Lucerne and your accommodation, but it does not require a hotel reservation or flight proof. After approval, the certificate PDF will be sent by email for you to download.

Canton of Valais

Application: Click here

Valais additionally requires a hotel reservation, so you can go ahead and make one. To apply, you first need to download the Swiss COVID Certificate app from the link above and obtain a Transfer code on your phone. Once the application is completed, the vaccine passport will be sent directly to your phone. You can then choose to export it as a PDF from the app if you want, though that is not required.

Germany

Because of the presence of U.S. military bases, Germany has plenty of experience converting U.S. CDC vaccination cards into European vaccine passports. However, for now this can only be done in person and cannot be handled online. You can click here and enter your location to search for a nearby Apotheke (pharmacy) that can issue a COVID vaccine passport; these are available in most parts of Germany. The author recommends looking for pharmacies near U.S. military bases or in popular tourist destinations. Staff at those pharmacies may be more likely to speak English and to have enough experience processing vaccine certificate conversions, making it less likely that you will run into someone unfamiliar with the process or have trouble communicating.

Applying in Person in Other Countries

Beyond the places listed in this article, many pharmacies and hospitals in other European countries also offer local vaccine certificate conversion services. Still, applying online in advance is a more convenient option, and it lets you use the certificate as soon as you first enter Europe. The author recommends applying through one of the Swiss websites above because they are fast and require fewer supporting documents. If you know of an even better place to apply, feel free to share it. Safe travels.