"The SPMS said that more than 400,000 EU Covid-19 digital certificates have been issued so far: vaccination certificate, test certificate and recovery certificate for infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Since 16 June, it is possible to request this certificate, through the SNS 24 portal, which proves that the bearer has performed a negative screening test for Covid-19, has a full vaccination or has recovered from the infection.

In the Council of Ministers, the decree-law was approved that implements in the Portuguese legal order and regulates this certificate, which, as of 1 July, may be used in international travel and, already this week, in events for which it was already mandatory to present a negative test for the coronavirus, such as baptisms, weddings, events with more than 500 people indoors, or 1,000 outdoors.

"It is foreseen that the EU Covid Digital Certificates can be used in matters of air and sea traffic, circulation in national territory and access to events of a cultural, sporting, corporate or family nature," specified the statement from the Council of Ministers.

The Government has also decided to maintain next weekend the ban on movement into or out of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (AML), but it is planned that those with a digital certificate or a negative test for Covid-19 will not be subject to this restriction.

Designed to facilitate the return to free movement within the EU, this 'laissez-passer', which should be free of charge, will function in a similar way to a travel boarding pass, in digital and/or paper format, with a QR code to be easily read by electronic devices, and in the citizen's national language and in English.