The government plans to introduce expiry dates for coronavirus passes from February 1, in line with the rest of Europe, the health ministry has confirmed.

European ministers agreed in December to bring in an expiry date for the passes for travel between EU member states, but some countries have already made boosters a requirement.

The introduction of an expiry date means that a Dutch coronavirus pass will only be valid for nine months after the most recent standard vaccination, in line with the deadline used by the European digital certificate.

‘This is why it is so important to get a booster dose – to be better protected but also for the coronavirus pass and to be able to travel,’ a ministry spokesman told the AD.

There is currently no expiry date for certificates for people who have had a booster, because its effectiveness over time has not yet been established.

The change in the Dutch system will require a change in the law and that amendment will be sent to parliament shortly, the AD said.

Several EU countries already require travellers to show proof that they have had a booster, such as Austria.

According to the government’s coronavirus dashboard, 3.8 million people in the Netherlands have had a booster injection to date.