THE European Parliament endorsed vaccine passports today, meaning EU citizens who have been fully vaccinated will be able to travel freely through the bloc.

The measure has been pushed by countries heavily reliant on tourism such as Greece, aiming to simplify European travel and end the varying “traffic light” systems employed by individual states denoting which are and are not safe countries. People possessing the travel certificate would avoid the need to quarantine or undergo further Covid-19 tests.

From July 1 for 12 months all EU countries will have to recognise the vaccine certificates. They will be free and certify that a person has either been fully vaccinated against the virus, has recently tested negative or has recovered from the disease.

Spanish Socialist Party MEP Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar said: “EU states are encouraged to refrain from imposing further restrictions, unless strictly necessary and proportionate.”

Non-EU citizens will be able to apply for the certificates in the first EU country they enter.