Travel is definitely beginning to pick up around the globe, but depending on where you’re headed, you may need to pack more than just your photo ID and wallet. Now, you might also need a vaccine or digital health passport.
If you have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, you’re probably wondering, “can I travel yet?” A vaccine passport could be the key to having a safe, seamless trip the next time you travel. This is so because:
Some destinations will require proof of a COVID-19 vaccine.
More than 90 countries have now reopened for travel and some of those countries have already announced plans for travellers who have been fully vaccinated.
In some cases, being able to show proof of vaccination may be your only way in.Some digital health passports are still in the early stages of development, IATA announced that their app will be available this month on Apple App Store to be downloaded.
The European Union has indicated that it’s developing a version of vaccine passports for Europe. The Digital Green Certificate will prove that travellers have been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result, or recovered from COVID-19.
These apps are desirable because they mean you do not have to keep track of paper documents, and they are being designed to verify the information to reduce the likelihood of fraud and besides proof of a vaccine can get you out of quarantine
Early in the pandemic, many destinations had strict testing and quarantine requirements. As more people worldwide become vaccinated, some locations particularly those heavily reliant on tourism have eased those requirements.
So, even if having proof of vaccination is not a requirement, it could be the key to skipping lengthy quarantine periods and rigorous testing requirements.
Digital health passports have already been rolled out on several popular routes on different airlines.
Digital health or vaccine passports are expected to be optional however it will be an important new travel amenity and will likely be leveraged in the travel industry and other large gatherings, such as sporting events. It’s still a bit early and health passport aren’t universal, but we can look at the present to get a sense of what may be required in the future.
People are thinking about travel and have already booked trips for 2022. But the travel landscape looks a lot different now than it did last year in March when many people last travelled. You will likely need to prove you have been vaccinated at some point in the future particularly if you want to travel to specific locations.
As destinations reopen to vaccinated travellers, new technology has made it easier to avoid long quarantines or expensive testing requirements, which means you’ll want to use a vaccine passport to make your travel a little easier.
