For a few weeks now, the Austrian airline Austrian Airlines has been offering a free advance check of Covid travel documents. Participation is voluntary, but is intended to give passengers more subjective security on the journey. Aviation Direct took a close look at how the new service works.

First of all, it should be noted that the document check is only available for passengers with Austrian Airlines tickets from Vienna to Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain and the Netherlands and back. The service is not (yet) offered for all other countries.

AUA passengers who want to use the service can access the portal via this link. First of all, personal data such as name, date of birth, citizenship and the booking code (alternatively: ticket number) must be given. It is also important not to forget to enter the flight number and email address.

Now the Covid travel documents have to be uploaded. These can be photos or scans of test results, proof of vaccination, proof of recovery and entry registrations (pre-travel clearance) or PLF forms. After all documents have been uploaded, a few ticks must be ticked and everything sent to the AUA.

At the airline, a team of experts uses the official entry requirements to check whether the documents authorize entry into the respective country. If something is missing or if it is not suitable, Austrian Airlines should notify you. If everything fits, you will receive a short email that the test was successful.

Important: The documents must be carried with you during the entire journey and a positive result from the Austrian Airlines test is no final guarantee that the respective state will actually allow entry. The AUA service is only free of charge for travelers to help them comply with the Covid travel rules. Participation in this service is free of charge and not mandatory. So if you don't want to have your documents checked by Austrian Airlines in advance, you can also show them at the airport in the traditional way. Some countries require that a check is made at boarding at the latest to ensure that all documents are available and valid.