Cyprus to create a unified digital vaccination registry: paper certificates will become a thing of the past

The Ministry of Health of Cyprus has prepared a bill to create a National Vaccination Registry, which is intended to put an end to the use of paper certificates and bring together vaccination data for all residents of the country in a single digital system.

The document, titled “The Law on the Establishment and Operation of the National Vaccination Registry of 2026,” provides for the creation of a centralized electronic database in which all vaccinations will be recorded regardless of where they are administered. To this end, the information systems of the Ministry of Health and the National Health System (ΓεΣΥ) are planned to be integrated, allowing doctors to quickly access up-to-date information on patients’ vaccinations.

At present, there are two separate vaccination record systems in Cyprus. Vaccinations of citizens covered through ΓεΣΥ are recorded in the national health system, while vaccination data for uninsured persons and asylum seekers are stored on the Ministry of Health’s Vaccination Portal. According to the ministry, this fragmentation makes it harder to monitor the population’s vaccination coverage and increases the risk of information being lost or duplicated.

The problem is particularly acute for patients with serious illnesses. Previously, representatives of patient organizations repeatedly pointed out that people after transplants and other categories of citizens who need repeat vaccinations often faced a lack of access to their own vaccination history because paper documents had been lost.

The creation of the National Registry will allow every resident of the country to have a continuously updated digital vaccination history, accessible when needed both to the patient and to medical professionals. According to the Ministry of Health, the new system will also help more effectively assess vaccination coverage, identify gaps in prevention, and plan public health measures.

The bill has been put up for public consultation. Citizens and interested organizations may submit their proposals and comments through a special electronic platform until June 24, 2026.