Beginning on July 10, 2021, only nationals of Tajikistan having a negative COVID-19 test displayed in the “Traveling without COVID” mobile app will be able to enter the Russian Federation, the Rossiyskaya Gazeta’s website says.
Previously, these conditions had applied only to member nations of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), that is to residents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Beginning on September 1, nationals of Azerbaijan, Moldova, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will also need to have their negative COVID-19 test displayed in the “Traveling without COVID” mobile application.
“Travelling without COVID” is the first project developed by the Digital Initiative Fund of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB DIF). The app reportedly ensures free and safe movement of EAEU citizens within the Union in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and, later on, in other countries that will join the project. The digital solution reduces the risk of the spread of the disease and offers a reliable control system at the inter-country level.
When a person gets tested in the country of departure, the laboratory submits the results to the national system, and they appear as a QR code in the app installed on that person’s mobile device. EAEU regulatory authorities can read those QR codes to verify test results. Hotels, restaurants, and airlines, among others, may also access test results if the user lets them scan the QR code.
The system prevents the transmission of personal data across borders. All user-related information is stored only at the national level where the testing takes place. This ensures personal data protection in accordance with national laws.
The “Travelling without COVID” app was successfully tested on December 3, 2020 today. Participants in the First Eurasian Congress from Armenia and Belarus crossed the Russian Federation border at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport with the help of the app.
