England rolls out digital vaccine certificates on NHS app

NHS app on smartphones
VACCINE PROOF: NHS App users in England can now use it to prove their Covid-19 vaccination status

Residents of England who have been inoculated against Covid-19 can now use the National Health Service’s NHS App to access a digital certificate confirming their vaccine status on their iOS or Android device without needing to request certification from their GP.

The NHS has added the service to enable users who have registered with the NHS App to prove their inoculation status for international travel and plans to add further functionalities such as proof of negative Covid-19 tests.

“Proof of your Covid-19 vaccination status will be shown within the NHS App,” the gov.uk website explains.

“We recommend that you register with the app before booking international travel. For access via the NHS App you do not need to contact your GP.

“The NHS App will continue to be developed with further updates in the future. This will include the ability to show your Covid-19 test results.”

“There are currently not many countries that accept proof of vaccination,” the website adds.

“So people will still need to follow other rules when travelling abroad, such as getting a negative pre-departure test.

“You will only be asked to prove your vaccination status for international travel. You should not be asked to prove it for any other reason (for example, by an employer or a venue).”

The digital vaccine certificates are currently only available via the NHS App to residents of England but, according to gov.uk, “the government is working with the devolved administrations to ensure this facility is available to everyone across the UK”.

The UK announced in February that it was trialling a digital Covid-19 immunity and vaccination passport.

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