Over the last few years, QR-Codes have become more and more part of our everyday life. Even the official proof of COVID-19 vaccination is performed with the help of Corona QR-Codes on a digital vaccination certificate.
But who creates the QR-Codes for the digital Corona vaccination certificate? And how do I get my QR-Code, what do I have to do for it?
Usually, you receive the vaccination certificate from the doctor or the vaccination centre right after the vaccination. You don’t have to do anything for it, it is given to you directly after the vaccination has been completed. If this has not happened, there is no need to panic yet: the Corona QR-Code can also be provided quite easily afterwards. All you have to do is to show your identity card and vaccination certificate (e.g. vaccination booklet) at a pharmacy or doctor’s practice that offers this service. The QR-Code will then be generated and handed out within a few minutes.
You can show the QR-Code as digital proof of vaccination, for example when travelling. The staff in charge can then scan it to check your vaccination status. The code can also be stored in the app „CovPass“ or the „Corona Warning App“ to always have the proof digitally on your mobile phone.
The QR-Code is valid as a proof as long as your Corona vaccination protection is complete. According to current statements, protection begins 14 days after the last vaccination. In the CovPass app, each uploaded proof is valid for 1 year. After this period, a new QR-Code must be generated, for example at a pharmacy. However, the app also notifies users before the validity expires, so you have enough time to renew it.
You can get the QR-Code to prove your recovered status at the same places as to prove your Corona vaccination. Here, you must present your identity card and proof of infection (e.g. PCR test) to receive the certificate. The recovery status is valid from 28 days after a positive test result until 90 days after a positive test result.
It can be read like a regular QR-Code via a QR-Code scanner. Most current smartphone models already have this built into their camera.
Find out more about scanning QR-Codes here!
The vaccination certificate contains the following data:
This data is only stored for the creation of the certificate and will be deleted afterwards. If the QR-Code is stored in the CovPass or Corona warning app, the data is only stored locally there. There is no central storage and no one has unauthorised access to your data.
Note: the information listed here refers to the situation in Germany at the time of publication of this article. Subsequent changes to the regulations or deviations depending on the federal state or abroad are possible.
