Germany has started rolling out a digital vaccination pass – called CovPass – that can be used across Europe as the continent gets ready for the key summer travel season. Available to fully vaccinated citizens, the country’s health minister says, “The goal is that this certificate can also be used in Helsinki, Amsterdam or Mallorca.”

Vaccination centres, doctors’ practices and pharmacies will gradually start giving out the digital passes, with the process expected to be complete by the end of the month, says Jens Spahn. CovPass will let users download proof of their coronavirus vaccination status onto a smartphone app, allowing them easy access to restaurants, museums or other venues that require proof of immunization.

People who have been fully vaccinated will either get a letter with a QR-code they can scan with their phones or they can contact their doctors or pharmacies to retroactively get the digital pass.

“By doing so, we in the European Union are setting a cross-border standard that doesn’t exist elsewhere in the world yet,” says Spahn, adding that the digital vaccination pass is an important step for the revival of international tourism.

Germany’s disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute, reported late last week that 47% of the population, or about 39.1 million people, have gotten one shot. Almost 24%, or 19.9 million people, are fully vaccinated.

On June 9, almost 1.3 million people received a vaccine jab, the second highest daily number ever.