Finnair to accept COVID-19 vaccination certificate as an alternative to negative test result or an immunity certificate when travelling to Finland

Finnair will start accepting a COVID-19 vaccination certificate from the first vaccination dose as an alternative to a negative test result or a certificate of a previous COVID-19 infection, on Finnair flights to Finland from May 11, 2021.

In line with the recommendation by the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare, Finnair has since late January required that all passengers travelling to Finland – excluding transfer passengers – present either a negative test certificate or an immunity/recovery certificate as a prerequisite for boarding.

In addition, as of May 11, there is no requirement for children under the age of 16 to present a health certificate, but Finnair recommends children between 12 and 15 years of age arrive with proof of a negative test result. This is to speed up the arrival procedure at Helsinki Airport, where passengers with a negative test result are exempt from testing on arrival.

“Vaccines have proven their power in fighting the pandemic, and vaccination certificates will play a key role in the upcoming EU Digital Green Certificate to ensure the health and safety of travellers,” says Kimmo Ketola, Medical Director at Finnair. “The likelihood of a vaccinated person being infected and transmitting COVID-19 is very small.”

Finnair will accept vaccination certificates for all COVID-19 vaccines approved by the World Health Organisation or the European Medical Agency. The vaccine needs to be administered at least 21 days before the travel date. The certificate needs to include the customer’s name, date of birth, the name of the vaccine producer, the time and place the vaccine was administered, as well as the issuer of the certificate.

As an alternative to the vaccination certificate, customers can present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result or a certificate of a previous COVID-19 infection. Travellers can find more information on the required certificates on Finnair’s Travel updates page.

Many countries have their own requirements for pre-departure testing or vaccination certificates, so  travellers are advised to refer to their local authority’s website prior to departure, to ensure smooth entry.

Finnair closely follows the development of health and safety measures in travel, and regularly updates its own procedures when necessary. Finnair flights have comprehensive health and safety measures in place, including a requirement to wear a mask during the flight. Measures are also in place when boarding and disembarking the aircraft, as well as during the flight.