COVID19: Recovery certificates only valid for 90 days

Unvaccinated Cypriots holding a recovery certificate as a Safe Pass after contracting COVID-19 will now see its validity drop from 180 days to 90 days.

On Monday, the Health Ministry reminded the public of the change.

The change came into effect following a cabinet decision to tweak Safe Pass regulations taken in December to push up the island’s vaccination rate.

The validity reduction applies to all current holders of the certificate, regardless of when it was issued.

Recovery certificates are now valid for just 90 days since the date the holder tested positive.

Under the new regulation, if someone tested positive on 20 December, their recovery certificate would expire on 20 March instead of 20 June.

However, they will continue to be valid for six months for travel purposes within the European Union, as this is the maximum period allowed by EU regulation.

The Health Ministry urged the public to consult the Re-open EU website (reopen.europa.eu) or contact the relevant national authorities for their destination, as validity periods may be shorter for some countries.

The authority noted that recovery certificates and Safe Pass documents would continue to be issued through the www.eudcc.gov.cy platform and valid domestically for 90 days.

Carrying a Safe Pass is mandatory for anyone over six to enter shops and entertainment venues.

A Safe Pass is issued to fully vaccinated people who are not overdue for a booster shot.

Fully vaccinated people need to get a booster shot seven months after their last jab to keep their Safe Pass documents from expiring.

For children between six and 11, Safe Pass documents consist of proof of recovery from the virus in the past three months or a negative PCR or rapid test not older than seven days.

Presenting a digital Safe Pass document is mandatory for those between 14 and 64.