PDF: The ideal format for EU Digital COVID Certificates

COVID certificate as PDF

The European Commission introduced Digital COVID Certificates (also called "Digital Green Certificates") to enable safer travel within the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Safe travel with the "green passport"​

The EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) supports safer travel within the EU. It was introduced across member states and became available EU-wide on July 1, 2021.

Digital COVID certificates are valid across EU member states and can provide proof of:

  • vaccination against COVID-19
  • a negative test result
  • recovery from COVID-19

Details included in certificates:

  • For vaccinated travelers: vaccine product and manufacturer, number of doses, and vaccination date
  • For tested travelers: test type, date/time, test center, and result
  • For recovered travelers: date of positive test, issuing authority, issue date, and validity date

Holder information included in the certificate:

  • first and last name
  • date of birth
  • issuing member state
  • unique identifier (QR code)

The certificates were designed to be free of charge and available in both paper and digital form. A QR code is included to support authenticity checks.

Why use PDF for important certificates?​

For important records such as vaccination, test, or recovery proof, PDF is a practical and proven container format. Such documents must be easy to share, consistent across platforms, and resistant to unintended changes.

PDF has long been a preferred format in business and public administration because it is portable, reliable, searchable, and suitable for signing and accessibility workflows.

More about PDF as a document format:

https://www.webpdf.de/en/the-new-pdf-standards-2020/

How secure is the EU Digital COVID Certificate?​

Certificates include a QR code containing a digital signature. The signature is issued by authorized entities such as hospitals, test centers, or public health authorities. Each issuer has dedicated signing keys managed via secure trust infrastructures.

In which countries is the "green passport" valid?​

The EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) is used not only in EU member states but also in non-EU countries such as Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland.

How is PDF used in digital certificate workflows?​

Using Belgium as an example, web applications were provided to request vaccination, test, and recovery certificates after identity verification. These certificates can be delivered as PDF files for download, storage, or printing.

Source​

Original article:

https://itextpdf.com/en/blog/itext-news/why-pdf-ideal-format-eu-digital-covid-certificates