The Netherlands debuts new domestic COVID-19 pass amid ongoing travel restrictions on international arrivals

The Netherlands is preparing to introduce an electronic COVID-19 pass, with the goal of safeguarding its population in advance of reducing domestic rates of the coronavirus (at the moment, the Netherlands is enforcing a number of restrictions, including the requirement to stay 1.5 meters away from other people in public).

Like many national European COVID-19 passes, the Dutch pass will demonstrate that the holder has one or more of the following:

• Evidence of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (with an EU accepted vaccine)
• Evidence of a prior COVID-19 infection (i.e. evidence that you now have natural immunity)
• Evidence that you tested negative for COVID-19 as recently as one day (24 hours) ago

Going forward, anyone in Holland (with the exception of children under the age of 13) will need to present this COVID-19 pass to enter most public venues and establishments, including sit-down restaurants and bars, as well as to attend mass events like athletic events, concerts, and the theater.

While the introduction of the COVID-19 pass is meant to parallel (and compensate for) the reduction in domestic COVID-19 restrictions, certain restrictions will remain. These will include the following:

• Curfews on bars/restaurants (from 12am-6am)
• Occupancy limitations for certain establishments
• Mask requirements on public transportation and at the airport

As the government continues its push to vaccinate its entire population (an estimated 11 million residents are currently completely vaccinated) the Netherlands will continue to adjust its approach to the pandemic in response to new developments. Because of this, the above domestic COVID-19 restrictions and regulations are subject to change.

Travel to the Netherlands

The Dutch COVID-19 pass will be accessible through the CoronaCheck smartphone app. Please note that this pass is different from the EU Digital COVID Certificate. Both authorizations essentially display their holder’s vaccination status/immunity from COVID-19. However, the coronavirus entry pass is country-specific to the Netherlands and is exclusively reserved for domestic travel and entry into local businesses/venues inside the country. In contrast, the EU Certificate allows its holder to travel to the Netherlands.

At the moment, the EU Digital COVID Certificate is not accessible to non-Europeans, who, in order to enter Holland, must also submit evidence of being vaccinated—albeit in a different form (often paper). However, while the Netherlands currently accepts non-digital evidence of vaccination from travelers arriving from some third countries, certain individuals (i.e. those coming from countries the Netherlands’ deems unsafe—such as the United States) will need to present additional evidence (i.e. proof that you currently test negative for COVID) in order to enter the Netherlands.

Individuals who are considering travel to the Netherlands should therefore look up the specific restrictions that apply to them (i.e. the restrictions the Netherlands applies to travelers arriving from specific countries). For example, the restrictions you will face will differ depending on if you are arriving from a “High Risk Area” vs. a “Very High Risk Area” vs. a “Very High Risk Area where there is a virus variant of concern,” or even from a non-EU, non-Schengen country that is nevertheless located in the European space (such as the United Kingdom).