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 11 May, 2021.

Since late January 2021, Finnair has 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 line with the recommendation by the Finnish Institute of Health and Welfare.

In addition, from 11 May, 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.

Kimmo Ketola, Finnair Medical Director said,

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.

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 Organization 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.

Paul Baker, Sales Director of GTM explained what this can mean for UK-based business travellers,

Finnair specialises in traffic between Europe and Asia, because the fastest connections between many European destinations and Asian megacities fly over Finland. Finnair’s requirement of a Covid-19 vaccine certificate as an alternative to a negative Covid-19 test will be useful for British business travellers, since the vaccine rollout has been so successful in the UK so far.

Finnair closely follows the development of health and safety measures in travel, and regularly updates its own procedures. 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.

Passengers will need to be sure of the travel restrictions in place between the UK and Finland and should check with GTM before travelling.