Use of the COVID-19 certificate in Norway

Historical archive

Published under: Solberg's Government

Publisher: Ministry of Health and Care Services

News story | Date: 15/06/2021

The COVID-19 certificate is being introduced for domestic use in step 3 of the Norwegian Government's reopening plan. It will be possible to use the COVID-19 certificate to attend large events and take cruises along the Norwegian coast. At large events, a negative result from a COVID-19 test will have the same status as being vaccinated and having recovered from COVID-19.

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‘It has been a long time since large groups of us could get together and experience big events together. Now we are reaping the benefits of our having been careful and more and more of us having had our vaccinations.

The COVID-19 certificate is already in use at border crossings. We are now going to use it at large events and on cruises along the Norwegian coast. This means that soon we will be able to attend large concerts, plays, football matches, and festivals. This is an important step on the road back to everyday life’, says Minister of Health and Care Services Bent Høie.

The COVID-19 certificate will be used to ease measures, not create barriers. It is an important principle for the Norwegian Government that the COVID-19 certificate offers benefits – also for people who are unprotected. The general rule is that a negative result from a COVID-19 test is equated with vaccination and immunity following recovery from COVID-19.

‘A COVID-19 test only provides a snapshot. This is why the result is only valid for 24 hours in a COVID-19 certificate. Organisers of events must enter into agreements with rapid antigen tests suppliers, so that it will be practically possible to have the test result entered into the COVID-19 certificate. We are introducing a requirement that large events make sure that participants know where they can be tested’, states Mr Høie.

In order to increase test capacity, the Norwegian Government is working on a scheme which will entitle private test providers to reimbursement from the state for tests to be registered in the COVID-19 certificate. This means that the state will cover the costs of the testing, not the organiser or the participants.

‘For most people, this means that people needing a test for a green certificate will be able to go to a test station and take a rapid antigen test, so that they quickly receive a result, well in advance of the event.

Together with the Ministry of Culture, we will call a meeting with the industry. This will give us a chance to answer all of their questions about events, testing, and COVID-19 certificate verification, so that they can begin planning’, says Mr Høie.

A green COVID-19 certificate will be displayed if you are fully vaccinated, more than 3 weeks have elapsed since your first dose of the vaccine, you have recovered from COVID-19, or you received a negative test result less than 24 hours ago.

The COVID-19 certificate will be used in connection with step 3 of the reopening plan. Use of the COVID-19 certificate will cease when the rate of infection and vaccination indicate that restrictions are no longer necessary.

Use of the COVID-19 certificate in municipalities with strict temporary local measures
The Norwegian Government will not permit use of the COVID-19 certificate to ease measures in municipalities that need the strictest level of measures, so-called 5A measures. This level of measures is applied to municipalities where the infection situation has not been brought under control, and mobility should therefore be kept as low as possible.

In municipalities with level 5B and 5C measures, which are slightly less strict, the municipality may decide to allow use of the COVID-19 certificate in order to open outdoor amusement parks, museums, theatres, concert venues, and similar cultural and entertainment venues.

They may also decide to use the COVID-19 certificate to allow public events with attendance restrictions corresponding to step 2 of the reopening plan. This means a maximum of 400 people (2 cohorts of 200 people each) without designated seating, or 1 000 people (5 cohorts of 200 people each) if they sit in designated seating.

Municipalities with level 5B and 5C measures may also decide that children under the age of 12 may go to the theatre, cinema, or a museum together with an adult with a valid COVID-19 certificate. There is a limit on the number of children each adult may bring.

Attendance restrictions at large public events:

Step 3:
A prerequisite for any event at step 3 that uses testing or the COVID-19 certificate is that only 50 per cent of the venue's capacity is used, and that the participants are divided into cohorts of up to 500 people. This will make it possible to keep a safe distance.

	Indoors	Outdoors
With a test or COVID-19 certificate
With designated seating	50% capacity, a maximum of 2 500 people (5 cohorts of 500 people)	50% capacity, a maximum of 5 000 people (10 cohorts of 500 people)
Without designated seating	50% capacity, a maximum of 1 000 people (2 cohorts of 500 people)	50% capacity, a maximum of 2 000 people (4 cohorts of 500 people)
Without a test or COVID-19 certificate
With designated seating	Up to 1 000 people (2 cohorts of 500 people)	Up to 2 000 people (4 cohorts of 500 people)
Without designated seating	Up to 400 people (2 cohorts of 200 people)	Up to 800 people (4 cohorts of 200 people)

Step 4:

	Indoors	Outdoors
With a test or COVID-19 certificate
With designated seating	75% capacity, a maximum of 5 000 people	75% capacity, a maximum of 10 000 people
Without designated seating	75% capacity, a maximum of 2 500 people	75% capacity, a maximum of 5 000 people
Without a test or COVID-19 certificate
With designated seating	Up to 2 500 people	Up to 5 000 people
Without designated seating	Up to 750 people	Up to 1 500 people

Attendance restrictions at events for children under the age of 18
No exemptions are made from the requirement of a COVID-19 certificate or testing for children and adolescents under the age of 18 at large events. The parents of minors can show a COVID-19 certificate if they bring children.

‘The attendance restrictions for events at step 3 are fairly generous, also without a COVID-19 certificate. For example, 400 participants are allowed at indoor events without designated seating, and 800 outdoors. This means that children and adolescents may attend many types of event also without a COVID-19 certificate’, states Mr Høie.

Attendance restrictions on cruises along the Norwegian coast
In addition to events, the COVID-19 certificate will be used for cruises along the Norwegian coast. If unprotected people board a ship with many passengers, this will increase the risk of an outbreak.

‘Last year, we learned that we need to be careful because handling outbreaks on ships can be difficult. Cruise ships will therefore be permitted a higher cap on numbers, provided that the people on board can document their protected status using a COVID-19 certificate. The Norwegian Government will give the concrete numbers later’, states Mr Høie.

You are protected when you are fully vaccinated, 3–15 weeks have elapsed since receiving your first dose of the vaccine, and you have recovered from COVID-19 during the past 6 months.