In just one week, Finnish residents will be able to start downloading the official certificates proving vaccination against the coronavirus.
Finland’s digital Covid-19 vaccination certificate will be available in the My Kanta pages as of 26 May. However, not all users will able to view their vaccination certificate on the launch date, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health warned in a press release.
The Finnish health authorities explained that certificates will be available in stages because "it can take some time before vaccination information is updated in the My Kanta Pages."
In practice, this means that some healthcare organizations may not be able to make the necessary changes to their patient information systems before the launch date. In such cases users will be able to view their vaccination certificate sometime later.
The Finnish government aims for future users to be able to view their Covid-19 vaccination certificate on the My Kanta pages within five days after vaccination. Five days is the maximum time limit for transferring data to Kanta Services under the Patient Document Decree.
Each certificate should contain information of the Covid-19 vaccinations received by the holder.
The Finnish certificate can be used only when crossing the border to an EU member state that accepts it as proof of vaccination. Each EU Member State can decide whether a national vaccination certificate entitles the holder to cross their border.
Therefore, the Finnish certificate does not mean that its holder can travel freely everywhere in the EU.
EU 'green certificate' in July
As of July, people in Finland will be able to use also the EU Covid-19 certificate, known as the Digital Green Certificate, which will cover three types of certificates: vaccination certificates, test certificates and certificates for persons who have recovered from Covid-19.
The three certificate types will be launched at the same time, and they will be available in the My Kanta Pages. Once the Digital Green Certificate is available in Finland, it will replace the Finnish vaccination certificate.
The regulation is expected to enter into force on 30 June, and the Member States have six weeks to implement it. This may mean that not all Member States will be able to issue and read certificates at the same time.
The purpose of the Digital Green Certificate is to facilitate free movement. Member States decide themselves if they want to use the certificate for other purposes.
People can use the Finnish vaccination certificate until the EU's certificate /Digital Green Certificate) comes available.
How to get the Finnish vaccination certificate
- Log on to your My Kanta Pages at kanta.fi using the identification token of your choice, such as online banking codes or mobile certificate.
- Select Covid-19 certificate from the left-hand menu. There is also a link to the certificate section on the front page of My Kanta Pages.
- To get your certificate click on the link 'Check if you have a Covid-19 vaccination certificate (pdf)'. If you have a vaccination certificate, it will open in a new tab in pdf format.
The Finnish Covid-19 vaccination certificate is only available on the My Kanta Pages. If you do not use the My Kanta Pages and you do not authorise anyone to use it on your behalf, you can ask your healthcare provider to give you a similar certificate of your Covid-19 vaccination.
When the Digital Green Certificate is launched in July, you can get it from the My Kanta Pages or you can ask your health centre or other healthcare provider to print it out for you.
Finnish authorities still recommend people should avoid traveling.
