STA, 3 June 2021 - In order to expand the use of digital Covid certificates once they enter into force, the government is expanding the number of points where residents will be able to get their digital identity, Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik told the press on Thursday.
In addition to administrative units, these points will include vaccination centres, social work centres, the Financial Administration and other points.
Koritnik said that residents who do not have digital identity should visit one of the registration points, where they would be identified by means of a valid identification document with a photograph.
The SIGENCA and SMSPASS certificates will be free of charge for citizens, he said, adding that digital identity would enable them to access the national portal zVem.
In addition to certificates of convalescence, vaccination and PCR test results, the portal enables access to other health information about individuals and a series of other public administration services, said Health Minister Janez Poklukar.
At the portal, Slovenians will soon be able to get the European digital green certificate, which will enable them easier travel and crossing of borders in the EU.
According to Poklukar, the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) is gearing up for the certificate, with a production test with the European Commission scheduled for this week.
The number of residents who have acquired digital identity is increasing sharply, as 66,000 people did so this year alone, which is equal to the number for the entire 2020.
In addition to the mentioned points for registration of digital identity, it is also planned that this will be soon possible at the application point of the Justice Ministry and units of the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia, Koritnik said.
Andrej Šter, the head of the Foreign Ministry's consular service, has meanwhile told the STA that the digital green certificate is expected to be introduced at the EU level on 1 July.
The list of countries that enable persons who tested negative, are vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 to travel freely is expanding, but this is not the case in all EU and Schengen Area member states.
This is based on bilateral or regional agreements, Šter said, adding that the card received upon vaccination could be used to enter Croatia and Hungary, while medical certificate in at least two languages was required for other countries.
"The certificate that in addition to Slovenian is usually also in English is used by all EU member states, and some other countries with which we have reached agreements, that is the UK, US, Turkey, Russia and Serbia."
