I got the booster. Do I need a new Covid cert? Here's everything you need to know

From February 1, the updated cert will be needed to travel to other EU countries.

When will I get my cert?

If you have received your Covid-19 booster vaccination, you will get an updated digital Covid cert.

Ossian Smyth – the Minister of State for Public Procurement and eGovernment – said certs were being sent out from the evening of January 6.

The cert should be automatically emailed to you if you have got the booster.

Mr Smith said that if for some reason a person does not have an email address then they will receive a text which will give step by step instructions on how to access the cert.

If someone who is eligible has not received a cert by next Thursday, they will be able to get one through the government website, gov.ie.

What do I need the cert for?

From February 1, the cert will be needed to travel to other EU countries.

The bloc is introducing new rules on travel which mean that vaccination certs being used for holidays to Europe will only have a nine-month validity.

From February 1, any cert that shows a person's primary vaccination doses were more than nine months ago will not be permitted to travel to another EU country.

Will I need an updated cert to go to a pub or restaurant in Ireland?

At the moment, no. The cert that was sent to people after the initial vaccination is still accepted for indoor hospitality here.

However, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said that an updated cert will be needed in the future.

Asked last week if people will be required to have a booster to enter pubs or restaurants, the Taoiseach said: “In the fullness of time, yes”.

He added: “Government decisions will have to be taken. It is very clear to us that the benefits of the booster are very significant right now, above all, preventing severe illness from Omicron.” 

I have had Covid and am waiting to get the booster? What must I do?

If you have had Covid-19 since you got your initial vaccine, the HSE has said that you should wait to get your booster dose for at least three months after your positive test result.

If you tested positive within the last three months, you can use go to the HSE website to postpone your booster appointment.

If you are waiting to get the booster jab because you have had the virus, you can go to gov.ie and request a certificate of recovery if you have recovered from Covid in the last six months.

Where is Ireland with the booster campaign?

As of January 7, there have been 2,362,211 booster jabs administered.

The Government’s data shows that almost 91% of the country has been fully vaccinated.