Switzerland will begin distributing "COVID-19 certificates" from June 7 to persons who have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from the virus as a method to ease travel across Europe, the government announced on Friday.

"The goal of the certificate is clear: it should create freedom of movement by showing one has been vaccinated, recovered or tested. In particular it will make travel in the Schengen area simpler," Finance Minister Ueli Maurer told journalists in the capital Bern.

However, details of when the certificate should be presented locally and which restrictions may be lifted for bearers, including those seeking to attend events, are yet to be finalized.

The certificates, available electronically or in hard copy, are designed to protect individuals' privacy and includes apps for storing and checking the certificates that will be available free of charge in Google and Apple app stores.

The certificates should be available throughout the country by the end of the month.

Swiss authorities said the system was compatible with European Union norms, and Maurer said he could not imagine that the EU would refuse to recognise despite tensions over a draft bilateral treaty that Switzerland rejected last week.

Switzerland has fast-tracked the reopening of its economy amid rising vaccination numbers and falling COVID-19 infections.

The country is preparing to allow events with up to 5,000 people in attendance from next month.

Close to 700,000 people in Switzerland and neighbouring Liechtenstein have been infected with COVID-19 and more than 10,000 have died of it since the pandemic began in early 2020.

(With input from Reuters)