EDIT: The Dutch government has once again postponed the introduction of an expiration date for vaccination certificates. Read more about the new rules here.
Health Minister Ernst Kuipers has announced in a letter to the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) that the Dutch government will enforce a nine-month limit on the validity of coronavirus vaccination certificates from Friday, February 4.
In January, the government announced plans to introduce an expiration date for vaccination certificates, with the cabinet hoping to introduce the new legislation on February 1 - on the same day the EU introduced a nine-month limit on the validity of vaccination certificates for international travel.
While the policy change has been postponed, new information for Kuipers clarifies that the government still plans to go ahead with these changes and that, from February 4 onwards, the vaccination certificates that are used by millions of Dutch citizens and residents to gain access to events, cinemas, museums, and restaurants in the Netherlands will be valid for a maximum of nine months.
With the new rule coming into effect on Friday, anyone who received their last vaccine dose before May 10, 2021, will no longer be considered fully vaccinated and will therefore no longer be in possession of a valid vaccination certificate.
According to Kuipers, the new rule will result in the expiration of approximately 540.000 vaccination certificates. In order to (re)obtain a valid QR code in the CoronaCheck app, these people will either have to receive a booster shot, or they will have to test negative for COVID-19.
The Dutch Health Minister hopes the tougher rules will encourage more people to get their booster shot. While the government is implementing limits on the validity of vaccination and recovery certificates (270 and 180 days respectively), no limit on the validity of booster vaccinations has been announced.
Thumb: Henk Vrieselaar via Shutterstock.