If you want to go on holiday abroad this summer, you have to do a lot of research before leaving.

Because every country has its own rules for entry, which you usually have to observe even if you are just passing through.

How strict the regulations are depends not only on epidemiological events or the vaccination rate, but also on economic interests.

In Brussels, for example, it was watched in astonishment how Portugal, of all countries, which currently holds the EU Council Presidency, allowed tourists from the United Kingdom to re-enter - even though a recommendation by the Council forbids that.

In the meantime, the British have pulled the rip cord of their own accord and have set Portugal back to "orange".

The certificate will be binding from July 1st

Basically, the EU's uniform digital Covid certificate for those who have been vaccinated, tested and recovered is intended to make traveling between the member states easier.

Individual states have already introduced it, and it will be mandatory for everyone from July 1st.

However, for a transitional period of six weeks, proofs on paper will also be recognized if they contain the same information.

This applies to the yellow vaccination certificate, for example.

Despite the proof, there are no binding EU-wide entry rules. Ultimately, each state can determine for itself how old a PCR test may be upon entry, whether a rapid antigen test is sufficient, whether quarantine is required and what it regards as a complete vaccination. At the moment, the member states are trying to bring some order to the chaos with at least one - legally non-binding - recommendation. It uses the traffic light system, with threshold values ​​adjusted slightly upwards: the division of the countries into green, orange, red and dark red zones, depending on the risk. After that, the entry regulations should be graded.

There should be no restrictions between green zones, for both vaccinated and non-vaccinated people. When entering from an orange area, a test may be required, with red zones additional quarantine - but usually only for people who are not (fully) vaccinated or who have been sick with Covid-19 in the past six months and now have antibodies feature. This is proven with the positive PCR test result. The negotiations on this are not yet complete, but they are on the home stretch.