ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
WHAT IS THE DIGITAL COVID PASS?
The COVID Pass is a digital credential that allows all UK citizens to prove their coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination status and test results. It is issued by the National Health Service (NHS), the public healthcare system in England. The COVID pass may still be required by some countries before allowing you to cross their borders. Are you planning to travel to a country that needs prove of vaccination upon entrance? Then keep reading to find out more about how to get your COVID pass.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO OBTAIN IT?
In order to get your COVID vaccination certificate, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old. It’s not required for people below 18 to show their coronavirus status.
The NHS COVID Pass requirements vary depending on whether you need to travel abroad or check-in at a venue. If you are travelling abroad, you’ll need:
- • to be fully vaccinated with an approved COVID-19 vaccine (notice it can take between 1 to 5 days to be updated), or
- • to have had a positive NHS PCR test in the last 180 days.
Since May 2022, the COVID pass is no longer requested to attend events or venues in the UK.
WHAT QUALIFIES PEOPLE AS "FULLY VACCINATED"?
In order to qualify as a fully vaccinated individual, you must be vaccinated with an approved vaccine. By February 2022, that means two doses of Covaxin, Moderna Janssen (single dose vaccine), Novavax (Nuvaxovid and Covovax), Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer BioNTech, Sinopharm Beijing or Sinovac-CoronaVac.
Some countries also request that you last dose was administered not longer than 6 months before you travel. If had yours before then, they will ask you to either get a booster 15 days prior to travelling or a PCR test before they allow you entrance to their country.
I’VE BEEN VACCINATED OUTSIDE OF THE UK, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
You can book an appointment to show evidence of any COVID 19 vaccinations you’ve received abroad. In order to do that, you’ll be asked to answer some questions. This will update your NHS vaccination record. You must have an NHS number, be 16 years old or over, and have been vaccinated with any of the approved vaccines mentioned above.
If you’re travelling to England, you can check if you qualify as fully vaccinated according to the UK regulations by clicking here.
HOW CAN I GET MY NHS COVID PASS?
There are two main ways of obtaining your digital NHS COVID Pass:
- • downloading the NHS App (available in the App Store and Google Play)
- • using the NHS website
After that, you'll be able to download the certificate as PDF or share it as a link via email. Know that your Pass can be scanned to confirm your COVID-19 status in other countries including those in the EU.
You can also request a letter to be sent to you by post in case you can’t access online services. You can also prove your COVID-19 status by phone calling:
Natural immunity is will be recognised in some countries only if you present proof of recovery. This is done through a positive NHS PRC test. The result must have been received in the last 180 days.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
Your NHS vaccination record will update within 5 days if you had your vaccination in the UK or the Isle of Man.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Downloading and using both NHS App and NHS COVID Pass is free.
HOW LONG IS IT VALID FOR?
The digital NHS COVID Pass is valid for 30 days. The certificate is updated each time you log in every 30 days, so be sure to check the expiry date. The validity applies to your digital certificate as well as your PDF version.
NOW YOU KNOW
Obtaining the NHS COVID Pass will allow you to travel freely. It's a quick, free of charge procedure that can be done from the comfort of your own home. For more information on vaccination status in other parts of the UK and the Crown Dependencies you can follow these links:
- Northern Ireland – nidirect: COVID certificate for NI residents
- Scotland – NHS Inform: Get a record of your COVID-19 vaccination status
- Wales – NHS Inform: Get a record of your COVID-19 vaccination status
- Wales – Welsh Government: NHS COVID Pass: prove your vaccination status
- Guernsey – GOV.GG: Covid status certificates (vaccine passports)
- Isle of Man – Isle of Man Government: NHS COVID Pass for Isle of Man residents
- Jersey – gov.je: COVID status certification
- You can also read:
- Calendar of UK Bank Holidays in 2022