If a coronavirus vaccination card is introduced across the EU, as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis recently proposed in a letter to the European Commission, this will not be a requirement for tourists to enter Greece, Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis clarified on Thursday.

“Under no circumstances will it be a condition for anyone to travel to our country,” he told the commercial broadcaster Skai during a discussion about the government’s preparations for this year’s summer season.

Theoharis said the prime minister’s proposal was intended to “rock the boat” for the European Union to vote on the issue. He also said the vaccination card and rapid antigen tests are quick, cheap and effective tools for reopening tourism.

The original idea is to test those who have not been vaccinated when entering Greece and to let those with the certificate pass freely in order to avoid “wasting resources”.
However, any decisions will be made after consultation with the committee of experts, which advises the government on the coronavirus.

Mitsotakis called on the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to push for the introduction of a coronavirus vaccination certificate, which, according to a report by Politico on Tuesday, would facilitate travel between the member states of the bloc.

“There is an urgent need to adopt a common understanding of how a vaccination card should be structured so that it is accepted in all Member States,” he said, hoping to address the issue at an EU summit on May 21.