Have you been fully vaccinated in another country but want to register your vaccination in the Netherlands? Received one jab overseas and one jab in the Netherlands? Or received your booster abroad?
Many internationals in the Netherlands have found themselves in confusing situations when it comes to registering their vaccines because — let’s face it — it’s a dang confusing process.
Well dames en heren, buckle up!! We’ve got all you need to know about getting your vaccination registered in the Netherlands (so far). 💪
I was vaccinated abroad, can I get my vaccine registered in the Netherlands?
First things first, where you were vaccinated will affect the process:
I was fully vaccinated within the EU
If you are an EU citizen or resident who has been fully vaccinated in a country that is part of the EU, then you are entitled to an EU DCC (EU Digital COVID Certificate.) A DCC acts as proof of vaccination in the Netherlands.
However, whether or not you can register your vaccine in the Netherlands depends on whether you are a Dutch citizen/resident.
I’m a Dutch citizen or I live in the Netherlands
If you live in the Netherlands and you got your first shot in the Netherlands and your second in an EU country, you’ll receive your DCC from the country where you received your second shot.
If it’s the reverse and you live in the Netherlands but got your first shot in another EU country, you can register for your second shot in the Netherlands.
I’m not a Dutch citizen or resident
If you’re not a resident or citizen, you can receive the DCC from the country you were vaccinated, but your vaccine will not be registered within the Dutch system. However, fear not: the European DCC is a valid proof of vaccination, so you’ll be able to access anywhere a Dutch DCC can.
I was fully vaccinated outside the EU
If you were vaccinated outside the EU, whether or not you can register your vaccine also depends on if you are a resident of the Netherlands.
I am a Dutch citizen or resident who was vaccinated outside the EU
If you are a Dutch citizen or an international who lives — and is registered — in the Netherlands, then you can get your international vaccination registered in the Netherlands. Follow the steps at the end of the article to do this.
I am not a resident of the Netherlands and was vaccinated outside the EU
Unfortunately, if you are not a resident of the Netherlands and have been vaccinated in a country outside the EU, you will not be able to register your vaccine in the Netherlands.
However, this does not mean you will be refused access when proof of vaccination is required. You can instead use paper proof of vaccination.
I received one jab abroad and one jab in the Netherlands
Some of us have spent the past year in more than one country. As a result, you may have received one dose of the vaccine in one country and another in the Netherlands, here’s what we know so far:
I received my first jab abroad
If you received your first vaccination abroad and you are a resident of the Netherlands, you can request to receive your second in the Netherlands using this form.
In order to then have your vaccination registered in the Netherlands, you need to validate your foreign vaccination. Follow the steps at the end of the article to complete this step.
Once your foreign vaccination has been validated, your vaccinations will be uploaded to the CoronaCheck app and registered!
I received my second jab abroad
If you received your second jab in another EU country or a country outside the EU, then it is possible to register your vaccination in the Netherlands if you are a resident here.
As with above, you must validate your foreign vaccination (see the process below.) Once this is done, your vaccines can be registered in the Dutch system!
I received my booster abroad
The Netherlands has fallen behind other countries when it comes to the booster rollout and as a result, many international residents in the Netherlands may have found themselves receiving their booster shot in their home country instead — or even just hopping the border and heading to our German neighbours for the jab.
Unfortunately, while it’s great to have received the booster before many other Dutch residents, this may lead to some difficulty for people.
I received my booster in another EU country
If you received your booster in an EU country, then your struggles won’t be too heavy. It simply means that instead of showing your QR code in the CoronaCheck app, you can show it using the digital certificate issued to you by the country where you received your booster. All vaccination certificates issued within the EU are Digital Covid Certificates (DCC) and should be accepted by Dutch authorities.
I received my booster outside the EU
Unfortunately, the Dutch government has not yet released any information as to how people who received their booster in a non-EU country may register their shot in the Netherlands.
Note: According to the GGD, those who have received a booster shot abroad will only be able to receive a paper Corona Pass if they wish to register it in the Netherlands, they will not be able to receive a digital one.
How to have your foreign vaccination registered in the Netherlands
If you’ve determined above that you are eligible to have your foreign vaccination registered in the Netherlands, you can move onto the following steps.
First, when you are vaccinated — in any country — you should receive a proof of vaccination certificate. This foreign certificate can be uploaded using the CoronaCheck app.
To complete the registration, you must also make an appointment to validate your foreign vaccination. You can do this by calling +31 (0)30 800 28 99. You will then need to go to Utrecht (25 minutes by train from Amsterdam) for an appointment. You’ll receive the address when you make the appointment.
You should bring with you:
- Identification
- Your BSN (as shown on a letter or other evidence.)
- The vaccination certificate that you received abroad. This must meet certain requirements.
Note: The eligibility of your vaccination certificate also depends on what type of vaccine you received. In the Netherlands, you must have received a vaccine that is approved by the EMA or that is on the WHO’s Emergency Use List. These are the following:
- Astra Zeneca — EU (Vaxzevria)
- Astra Zeneca — Japan (Vaxzevria)
- Astra Zeneca — Australia (Vaxzevria)
- Astra Zeneca-SK Bio (Vaxzevria)
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine — United States of America
- Pfizer/BioNTech (Comirnaty)
- Johnson & Johnson ((COVID-19 Vaccine) Janssen)
- Moderna (Spikevax)
- Serum Institute of India (Covishield)
- Sinopharm BIBP
- Sinovac
If everything is approved, the vaccination will then be uploaded and registered in the Netherlands. Hoera! 🎉
⚠️ Just a note: information from the Dutch government around this has been a little vague. We’ve taken care with this article to understand as much as possible, but it’s possible that your mileage may vary. Had a different experience with registering a vaccine in the Netherlands? Leave it in the comments below!
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Feature Image: DutchReview/Canva
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in August 2021, and was fully updated in January 2022 for your reading pleasure.
Yeah 25 minutes from Amsterdam but 2 hours & 27 euros from Groningen… Not even counting the way back home. I don’t understand why we need to present it in person, when all vaccination certificates are digital and equipped with QR codes… A joke.
That’s why it even doesn’t make sense to register there.
If you got the vaccine in the EU, your digital vaccine certificate is also valid in the NL, works with no issues with the Dutch code reader.
Please note at the moment you cannot register your first dose received within the EU. The government is still working on that. I called GGD Utrecht to verify.
I think the Netherlands should require all organizations who want to have people physically present present the Covid certificate. That’s a compromise, and I don’t see why such an obvious win-win thing is not done.
We are also several that have jabs from two eu countries. We have no certificate because the eu system for the eu pass does not communicate amongst eu countries. We are stuck.
We are several people that have been vaccinated in two EU countries (first abroad and second in NL) and we are not able to issue the vaccination certificate in NL because they can’t register the dose from outside the EU. Now that the vaccination certificate will be mandatory almost everywhere in NL and in EU how can we continue living? Why should we take tests every day when we are already fully vaccinated ? We have been hearing the same from RIVM since July ” A process will be created soon”.. come on people! How is it easier for a dose given outside of EU to be easier registered than one in EU???
I completely agree with you!
I am in the same situation. Three months after the introduction of the EU covid certificate, the Dutch Government cannot provide any solution on this!
How is possible that they invited us for the second shot without clearly state “you will not have a full vaccination certificate”?
How is possible that GGD can register non-EU vaccinations (even if requiring an annoying trip to Utrecht), but is not able to register an EU vaccination, which have been seen by the GGD itself (at least 3 GGD qualified person saw mine) at the moment of the second shot?? It is exactly the same vaccine, with same protocol and same document format.
This is a very annoying no-sense!
I have to say that I was able to travel by airplane showing the two separate certificates in paper, after discussing it with the controller, but I have the feeling that I could be refused at anytime, as it actually happened when entering in some bars and restaurants where bouncers do not always care about discussing such an annoying matter. We cannot be tested every 2 days.
Why so Dutch review columnists assume every expat lives in Amsterdam?
I was informed that the vaccine lab is not the only thing checked. Also the manufacturer. Is that true? I got the Covishield vaccine but once the manufacturer is Fiocruz (Brazil – RJ) I was not able to make an appointment and register my vaccination certificate.
I wonder why the phone number is not working. Any idea? Or is there any real/ correct phone number that we can dial?
Call this number (030) 630 54 00 , you have to wait at least 1/2 hour they will give you an appointment, and the address will be Stadsplateau 1 3521 AZ Utrecht
is a white building 3 minutes walking from utrecht central station, in the 4 floor, even if you get 15 minutes earlier of your appointment they help you to register your international dose , is the only way , i hope this help you
Summing up everything that I learned:
At the moment, Netherlands is working on creating an international QR code that will include all shots in one QR code, if you had the vaccines outside Netherlands and the booster in the Netherlands. Conona check app is useless in this case. That practically means that you will have 2 different QR codes which according to EU rules, are enough to cross borders/take the aeroplane. However, we may have issues for example going to a bar or restaurant outside the Netherlands and showing 2 separate QR codes, as they might only recognise 1 QR code. They don’t know yet when this united QR code will be ready, but fortunately the vaccine QR code (the first 2 dosis) has 9 months validity from the moment you did the 2nd shot, so hopefully they gonna fix it until then!
Also, the opposite is possible to happen soon, after talking with ΚΕΠ services in Greece. So if for example you took the first 2 vaccines in Greece/any EU country outside NL, the authorities of that country with create a 3/3 QR code that combines the QR code of the booster in NL as well.
https://ec.europa.eu/com…/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_6837
It seems that I cannot open the link you shared, but do you mean in a nutshell that the QR code will be created by the country who provided the booster? I got my 2 first vaccines in Greece and the boosted in the Netherlands.
Kind Regards,
Eirini
How abou if you have got Covid abroad and do not need the booster in the NL?
Hello Klaudia 🙂 For any questions regarding coronavirus or vaccinations in the Netherlands, we recommend checking out their official government website: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19. Good luck!
– Your DR-Team
Hello,
I have been twice vaccinated in Greece and got end of December 2021 my booster in the Netherlands. I did make an appointment with GGD in Utrecht, went there on 3rd of January. I received a printed document with a QR for local use, but note sure if it includes all the 3 vaccinations.
Since then I struggle to find a way to have this sorted out. I called several times and I was advised to wait for an email with instructions in order to add the certificate my self in the corona app.
My booster shows as 1/2 doses for International use, which by the way is wrong, it should have said 3/3 or perhaps a single dose? On the top I cannot add the certificate for local use at all. How will I be able to justify my 3 vaccinations in the Netherlands?
Hi Eirini, thanks for your comment! According to the Dutch government website, if you got your third vaccination in the EU, that country should give you a Digital COVID Certificate (DCC). You can refer to more specific information here: https://www.government.nl/topics/coronavirus-covid-19/covid-certificate/proof-of-vaccination/vaccinated-outside-the-netherlands. Hope this helps!