EU Digital COVID Certificate Problems

Tobi Hughes·
Madeira News

It seems many people cannot get their EU covid passport, or the NHS one for those resident in the UK.

With many people having had their two vaccines in Madeira, as they were offered to all, it now seems some can’t get the certificate as they do not have a utente number, or resident in Madeira.

Some have registered their vaccines with their surgery in the UK, but are unable to get the NHS certificate, as they didn’t have the vaccine in the UK.

It seems to be a bit of a mess at the moment, and hopefully something can be done to sort this situation out, as its probably happening in many other countries.

Are you in this situation, and what difficulties are you having.?

Leave comments below on my blog page below, and if anyone has any answers that might help, this will be great to hear also.

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Tobi Hughes

21 Responses

  1. My husband has this problem. He is a permanent resident (we have lived in Portugal for nearly 11 years and on Porto Santo for 9), but he has a German health insurance card, which covers him for treatment in Europe. He also spends a lot of time in Germany, or did before CoVid. We were both vaccinated on Porto Santo, and I had no trouble getting my EU vaccination certificate, using my numero de utente, as I am a Portuguese citizen. But his German equivalent was not accepted. He asked at the Porto Santo health centre and was told there was no way he could at the moment be issued with one. We looked online and found he should have asked for a ‘temporary health number’ before being vaccinated. He is going to try and ask for one now, but I get the feeling that nobody knows much about this, so I am not hopeful. Meanwhile, he has a PCR or antigen test every time he goes to Madeira for health treatment, which is paid for by his German insurance.

  2. I applied to the N.H.S. for two certificates (one each). The form took less than 5 mins to complete and we now have our certificates confirming we are fully vaccinated. The only big problem we have now is completing the Madeira Safe forms then booking PCR tests before and after although the N.H.S. website says if you are fully vaccinated you don’t need to book these tests. Too many conflicting messages, we don’t know who to believe. Finally is the horrendous cost of the tests, some families are paying about £500 for theirs over and above travel insurance etc. etc. We are now having second thoughts about the whole thing.

    1. Madeirasafe clearly states that if you are fully vaccinated you do not need a PCR test to enter Madeira (as does the UK gov website – clear and in agreement with each other, not contradictory at all), although you do need to upload your UK vaccine info onto your Madeirasafe locator form 48hrs before you travel. The Madeirasafe locator form is fairly easy to navigate. The costs are all down to the UK government as they are the ones who have mandated tests to return home – i.e., a rapid antigen test taken not more than 3 days before return travel (easily booked once you get to Madeira) to UK and pay for and book a day 2 PCR test – you need this booking number to fill in your UK gov passenger locator form 48hrs before you reurn to the UK.

        1. Believe it or not but nowhere on the gov.uk website does it specify you must have a pcr test on Day2. It just says you should have a covid test! I have read all the different pages and the term “pcr” does not appear. There is nothing to stop you ordering an lft (lateral flow test or Antigen) and using that reference number on the PLF. There was an article in the Sun newspaper about this and having read all through the pages on gov.uk can confirm they are right.

        2. Tobi we are in Madeira and I have requested a return test over 7 days ago on the Madeira safe app and it just says submitted, do they contact you for the test as we leave in a weeks time on Monday 6th sept

          1. Did you check your junk mail, you should get an email straight away with a ref number, and you take this to book your test where ever you want.

  3. This seems to be an issue that needs clarification and improvement on all over the world as well as the UK and Madeira. There should be a universal system of acceptance of double vaccinated certificates or passports for people who have been double vaccinated so they can travel and so on.

    Also many people do not have high tech mobile phones. The over fifty, especially, many do not have or have the knowledge of this technology to have certificates or passports scanned. This is a huge challenge.

    Then there are concerns with health and personal information privacy issues using smart phones and health information bar codes and numbers.

    This is something that needs to be fixed quickly. In Canada we have the problem of each province is in charge of coming up with their own certificate or passport for double vaccinations. It makes it confusing even within one nation. Also many people have two vaccinations of two different vaccines, especially one of Astrazeneca, the USA and many other travel destinations are still not accepting these certificates. What a big huge mess we have right now? It all needs to be looked at and fixed with cooperation and understanding. This is true with Madeira and the UK as well.

    1. Yes totally agree, it should be one for all simple and easy those that want it on their phones and those that just want if printed or on like a ID cardto show.

  4. I have a certificate that proves that I have been doubled jabbed as does my wife. Will I be able to enter Madeira with these without any problem. Also what will I need to do when I leave Madeira. Thank you for your assistance.

  5. We hav registered our Madeiran Vaccines at our surgery they wanted £50 for a letter confirming this so I have asked for just a printout of our medical record which at least is some proof. The NHS Webb site has not been set up yet for foreign vaccinations as we found out from contacting 119. How long that will take heaven knows!

  6. Reference is regularly made to UK requirements when they differ between England and Scotland! Scotland requires a PCR test 72 hours before return and pre-booked Day 2 test.
    Why we cannot use the free Rapid Antigen Test handed out by the Government, I do not know!
    The whole business is a money-making exercise. Travellers are paying for the free tests used at home!

    1. Anna, as I mentioned above, it doesn’t actually state that the day 2 test must be a pcr on the government website! It just says you must have a covid test.

  7. I don’t know if this info helps, as I was kind of an unusual case, yet it worked out fine. I live part time in Madeira but are not registered as a resident here and I have no numero utente. I am also privately insured in Germany. I received my first vaccination in Germany in a vaccination center and received an entry into my yellow international vaccination pass including the sticker that comes with the vaccine.

    Later in Madeira I asked if I could get my second dose here and eventually was given a date. I got the second jab in Funchal and again an entry and sticker into my yellow pass.

    A month later, in Germany I went to a pharmacy who looked at the yellow passport and issued me an EU type certificate. With that I travelled back to Madeira and recently entered the Azores with no trouble.

  8. Hello! I have an account on Madeira Safe and I keep trying to load my Covid certificate (QR) with the vaccine (Pfizer) made in Romania and I don’t succeed(it shows me: not yet validated). I am going to visit Madeira on September 11, can the certificate be uploaded 48 hours before the trip only? Thanks!

  10. My sister had her vaccination whilst living in Scotland. She moved to England around February of this year. When she applied for her proof of vaccine letter she was lead on a Merry dance. Scotland could not let her have a certificate of vaccination as they could only send it to her previous address in Scotland and they was no facility for them to change the address to England.
    NHS England could not let her have it as she was vaccinated in Scotland. And so it went on it took her five weeks to resolve the problem, only two days before she was due to fly to Madeira did she finally receive the letter which after much pleading came from her Doctor!

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