Since the EU has a list of approved vaccines, can tourists who are vaccinated with non-EU approved vaccines still have their vaccination certificate considered as valid when travelling to Malta? – Louis Ellul
At this point in time, only persons with a Maltese vaccine certificate can exempt themselves of the requirement to get a negative PCR test for entry into Malta.
A notice on The Malta Government Gazette was issued to notify that a Maltese vaccination certificate termed ‘Vaccine Certificate – Malta’ is a certificate which, in its form, is valid and accepted and covers vaccines recognised and approved by the Superintendent of Public Health.
It is expected that, when the EU Digital COVID-19 Certificate is implemented, those vaccinated by EMA-approved vaccines within the EU/EEA can avail themselves of this exemption.
There are ongoing discussions for bilateral agreements which are being negotiated between Malta and other non-EU countries.
Does anyone arriving in Malta need to submit a passenger locator form? Why? – Marlene Vella
In accordance with LN 229 of 2021, Conditions to be imposed on Persons Travelling to and from Malta Order, 2021, any person who travels to Malta, whether by air or by sea, shall, upon that person’s arrival in Malta, provide a passenger locator (PLF) form.
PLFs are used by the public health authorities to facilitate contact tracing in case travellers are exposed to an infectious disease during their travel. Information that travellers provide in PLFs can be used by the public health authorities in destination countries to rapidly contact travellers, with the goal of protecting the health of travellers and their contacts as well as preventing the further spread of disease.
All data is processed in accordance with the provisions within the legislation for data protection and public health.
From where is tourism allowed to Malta? What are the requirements for arrivals to Malta? – Kathleen Muscat
Commercial tourism travel to Malta is only permitted from amber list countries, with a negative PCR test result obtained within 72 hours before arrival in Malta.
This test result needs to be presented to the carrier (by air or by sea) offering travel to Malta. Failure of this shall result in denied boarding.
An officially recognised vaccination certificate is recognised by the Superintendent of Public Health through a notice on The Malta Government Gazette. Currently, only the Maltese certificate is recognised. Certificates from EU/EEA will only be accepted when the EU’s digital COVID-19 certificate is in place and/or when bilateral agreements are in place to accept reciprocal vaccination certification between Malta and other countries. This can also apply for non-EU countries. Commercial tourism travel from countries on Malta’s red list is not permitted.
As from yesterday, fully-vaccinated persons who have the Maltese vaccination certificate may present this instead of a negative PCR test when returning to Malta from amber zones. Air and sea carriers are obliged to check the relevant documentation and deny boarding if any of the required documents are not available.
Checks will be carried out again upon arrival at the airport and seaport for these documentations.
If there will be particular circumstances where documentation is missing and if, upon arrival in Malta, any passenger (aged five and older) is not in possession of a negative PCR result or a valid Maltese vaccination certificate, the passenger will be subject to a mandatory PCR test and mandatory quarantine against a fee as per legal notice LN229 of 2021.
I am travelling to Italy next Sunday, how and when can I apply for my vaccine certificate? What happens if I lose the document? – Mariella Axiaq
The Maltese vaccination certificate is available at https://certifikatvaccin.gov.mt for download in digital or printable version.
The vaccine certificate can be issued 14 days after taking the second dose of the Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca vaccine or the single dose in the case of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
If you misplace the printable version and you haven’t kept a digital format, you can generate the vaccine certificate again. However, each new certificate will revoke the previous certificate. Therefore, only the most recent vaccine certificate generated will be valid. For any queries call 145.
Have any questions to ask the superintendent? Send an e-mail to askcharmaine@timesofmalta.com.