15-10-2022

While COVID-19 travel restrictions have been greatly relaxed, travellers to Europe must still fulfil specific health document criteria in order to enter specified countries. This contains the EU digital passenger locator form for selected destinations (EU-dPLF).

The dPLF is one of the few COVID travel limitations for the EU that a handful of European nations currently face. To minimise complications upon arrival, foreign citizens can verify whether they need to complete an online EU passenger locator form for their location before going to Europe.

Passengers may discover extensive information on the EU digital passenger locator, who requires it, and how to fill out the electronic form on this page.

WHAT IS THE EU DIGITAL PASSENGER LOCATOR FORM?

Passenger Locator Forms (PLFs) allow people to send information to public health authorities in order to assist contact tracing if they have been exposed to a confirmed case of an infectious disease while travelling.

During the COVID-19 epidemic, PLFs were common. The information provided on a PLF enables local authorities to swiftly contact travellers in order to prevent illness transmission and protect their own and public health.

During the coronavirus epidemic, several individual nations used paper-based PLFs, but numerous European Union governments collaborated to produce the EU digital passenger locator form.

This is a standard web-based tool used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of contact tracing. Stakeholders will be able to collect and distribute data more readily and rapidly by adopting this digital format.

IS THE EU PASSENGER LOCATOR FORM MANDATORY?

Some European nations no longer need new entrants to complete a PFL. The EU digital passenger location form for Italy, for example, is no longer necessary. Other countries have their own PLF schemes in place.

However, for most passengers flying to the following countries as their ultimate destination, the standard EU digital passenger locator form is still required:

Nonetheless, each of these nations has its own rules about who needs to fill out a passenger locator form for the EU. These protocols are detailed below.

RULES FOR FILLING OUT THE FRANCE PASSENGER LOCATOR FORM

All travellers arriving by plane in France must complete the passenger locating form for the EU. Passengers without internet connection or a cell phone can obtain a paper form from the airline on the day of boarding and have it collected by the air crew before disembarking.

Travelers are urged, however, to adopt the digital format since it allows them to prepare their passenger location document prior to departure. They can then display their QR code or confirmation email before boarding.

MALTA PASSENGER LOCATOR FORM REQUIREMENTS

All travellers arriving by air or boat in Malta must complete the EU digital passenger location form. Transit passengers, on the other hand, are exempt as long as they do not exit the airport transit area.

Malta, unlike France, no longer distributes paper PLFs. To board transportation and upon arrival in Malta, all passengers must complete an individual EU-dPLF online and present the QR code. The QR code, on the other hand, may be shown in either digital or paper form.

Filling out the digital passenger locator for Malta requires visitors to submit a copy of a vaccination certificate and/or a negative PCR test result obtained within 72 hours of their arrival. For this reason, an EU digital COVID certificate might be utilised.

Arrivals from specified high-risk countries will also be needed to get a COVID-19 Public Health Authorisation Code for travel to Malta.

SLOVENIA PASSENGER LOCATOR FORM PROTOCOL

Passengers arriving by land (car, bus, or rail) do not require an EU digital PLF, however it is required for all arrivals by air (including private flights) and cruise ship. However, flight and ship staff are excluded as well.

Transit passengers, like those in Malta, do not need to fill out a location form if they stay within the airport transit area.

HOW TO FILL OUT THE EU DIGITAL PASSENGER LOCATOR FORM?

To complete an EU digital passenger form, first create an account on the internet site by registering an email address.

Depending on the destination country, the traveller will be required to fill out a different form. In general, though, the traveller must provide:

  • Information about the transportation carrier
  • Port of departure/entry
  • Personal details
  • Contact telephone
  • Home address
  • Address in destination
  • Details of any travel companions
  • Emergency contact information

When the form is submitted, the applicant receives an email/confirmation/QR code. They can then use this to board their flight/ship and to enter Europe.

To acquire a unique QR code, each member of a group or family must fill out an individual passenger locator form, regardless of the destination country.

One digital account, however, may be used to complete up to five PLFs. When generating a locator form for their children, parents can include their personal email addresses.

WHEN TO FILL OUT THE EU DIGITAL PASSENGER LOCATOR FORM?

If arriving by flight or boat, passengers are urged to complete the online EU passenger location form before boarding their transit to Europe.

If the passenger arrives by cruise ship, they must fill out the paperwork before disembarking.

In addition to acquiring the EU digital passenger form, travellers should check ahead of time to see whether they need any other papers for their destination. For example, in November 2023, all visa-exempt travellers will be required to get an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) visa waiver.