The rejection is clear.

“You need the pass sanitaire,” says the French waitress, pulling out her electronic device to scan.

German travelers with a negative corona test, proof of health or digital vaccination certificate from the pharmacy have no problems.

The CovPass app on the smartphone is also accepted.

Christian Geinitz

Business correspondent in Berlin

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Niklas Záboji

Editor in business.

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But with the traditional yellow vaccination pass, as a German in France, where an electronic health pass with QR code has to be shown in restaurants and long-distance trains since the beginning of this week, in many places you are on a losing streak.

The experience in Italy is similar, according to vacationers: if you only have a yellow passport there, it can be difficult.

The rejection by individual companies is annoying, but it does not mean that global recognition is not working.

Because landlords and hoteliers have house rights and can in principle let in who they want.

A completely different question is whether official bodies will reject people with these papers.

The yellow vaccination certificate has always been a globally valid document, and it will remain so in times of corona.

That is why it is also written in several languages, in the version widespread in Germany in accordance with Section 22 of the Infection Protection Act in English, French and German.

Better to drive on multiple tracks

The European health ministers have agreed among themselves and promised their citizens that they will recognize the document mutually also with regard to the Covid-19 vaccination. This means that official bodies have to accept the vaccination book, for example the police, customs or border guards. This also applies to institutions and persons entrusted with sovereign tasks, such as airlines, which by law have to check the vaccination status. "The pandemic has not changed the validity of the yellow vaccination card," says the spokesman for Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU). With the additionally introduced digital EU vaccination certificates, however, another proof that is recognized within the EU and for some third countries has been created.

In fact, there was never any doubt about the EU-wide acceptance of the paper version, but it took time to agree on a common electronic version.

"When traveling, it is advisable to carry an EU certificate in digital or paper form in addition to the yellow vaccination certificate," advises the spokesman.

So far it is not known that sovereign bodies reject the yellow booklet or insist on digital certificates.

In this respect, one cannot say that the responsible ministers have broken their promises that nobody will be forced to digitize in the form of a QR code on paper or in a smartphone.

The German Travel Association DRV confirms this. So far there is no evidence that the yellow ID card will not be accepted upon entry.

The tour operators have not made any complaints either.

Like the ministry, the association also advises multi-pronged action: "It's the same as with all important travel documents," says a spokeswoman. "You should be on the safe side and have copies." The Franco-German Chamber of Commerce announced, however: The entry in the yellow vaccination pass "is not sufficient in France and other EU countries." Health pass has been programmed.