Digital health passes are now mandatory for all foreigners wanting to eat out in Monaco, but what if your country hasn’t issued you a QR code, like the United States?
For a foreigner in Monaco, a valid QR code is the key that unlocks the doors to restaurants, bars and cultural venues, as the government tries to balance controlling the spread of Covid with maintaining economic activity in the Principality.
From August 23rd, this obligation will be extended to citizens and residents as well.
For those living in Monaco, France, or the European Union, QR codes are easily accessible through the Monaco Safe Pass, TousAntiCovid app or the EU Digital Covid Certificate.
But for citizens outside of the EU, the process is not as clear. Those vaccinated in the United States, for example, only have a handwritten card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to show as proof, and many have asked us at Monaco Life whether this will be accepted in the Principality.
The answer is yes. The Covid-19 information service has confirmed to us that paper certificates identifying a person’s vaccination status is accepted at all necessary points in the Principality.
What constitutes a health pass?
There are very specific rules, however, as to what is acceptable proof of health status. People either have to show they have completed a vaccination programme and received two doses of an EU-approved vaccine: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or one dose of Johnson & Johnson no less than two-weeks previously; a negative PCR or antigen test taken within the last 48 hours, or a Covid-19 recovery certificate that is less than six months old.
Why the confusion?
The situation differs greatly in nearby France, where paper proof of vaccination is not always accepted. Americans have been told that they can obtain a QR code health pass at pharmacies upon presentation of their paper documentation. This has been easy for some, not for all.
Meanwhile, the British Embassy in Paris confirmed to The Connexion that UK NHS vaccination certificates are not yet compatible with France’s health pass scanning tool which will be used in restaurants, bars and many other venues in France from next week.
Don’t forget your ID
Upon entry to a restaurant or cultural venue in Monaco, customers will be asked to present their health pass or vaccination certificate. The name on these certificates will be cross referenced with a valid form of identification, so be sure to carry both when you head out in Monaco.
 
 
Photo by Cassandra Tanti for Monaco Life