Covid: How will Scotland's vaccine certificate change?
- Published
Police officer at the Bregana border crossing between Croatia and Slovenia scans QR code on an EU digital Covid passport
With the vaccination programme racing against the spread of new variants, rules around international travel are rapidly changing.
Although different countries have their own entry rules, a digital "passport" which provides evidence of a person's vaccination status has been rolled out across Europe.
Similar apps have been rolled out in the UK and while Scots have had to request theirs by post, Nicola Sturgeon has announced a QR system will be launched on Friday.
What is a vaccine certificate?
People in Scotland have been able to access their certificate since 19 May - which shows both the dates of Covid vaccination and the type of drug administered.
The Scottish government said the service was intended to allow people access to a certificate without asking their GP, thereby "easing the burden" on the NHS.
While no countries required vaccination status to travel when the service launched, some countries now do - and destinations have different entry rules, external which can change at short notice.
The government has information which you can check, external before travelling.
More than 30 countries, including Greece and Spain, now accept the pass.
Why did Scotland have a paper system for so long?
Originally people could download the document online, but on 22 May the site suffered a security glitch which enabled people to alter details on the document using popular software programmes.
BBC Scotland was able to download a certificate and edit it to include a false name and the address of the BBC's Glasgow headquarters.
A fix was implemented on 25 May, which meant people in Scotland could only request the document be sent to them by post.
People can view their vaccine status through the NHS Inform patient portal., external Users have to log in using a unique username printed on their Covid vaccination appointment letter.
Those who are not online can request the certificate to be posted by phoning a freephone Covid status helpline on 0808 196 8565.
Scotland's reliance on a paper system was previously criticised by travel agents, who said travellers were being "blindsided".
Concerns emerged that the paper system was causing airport queues and more interactions with staff and passengers.
By the end of July, the Scottish government had awarded a Danish firm a £600,000 contract to develop a vaccine passport similar to those already in use elsewhere in the UK and Europe.
On Tuesday during a Covid update to Parliament, Ms Sturgeon confirmed people could download their certificate in the form of a QR code from Friday.
Paper copies will continue but will include a QR code on them.
Furthermore, vaccine passports are to be required for entry to nightclubs and many large events in Scotland from later this month.
Ms Sturgeon said the hospitality industry as a whole would not be included in the certification scheme - although that decision would be kept under review.
And there are no plans to include key services or settings where people have no choice over attendance - such as shops, public transport, education and medical services.
What's happening in Europe and the rest of the UK?
An EU vaccine "passport" has been introduced across all 27 member nations - plus Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
Because the UK is no longer in the EU, the certificate is not available to most Britons, which has led to a number of problems.
The European system often requires people to present a QR code, however people in Scotland have been denied entry to certain places when they presented their paper certificate.
France insists UK visitors are fully vaccinated before entry for non-essential travel. The country has also tightened its rules for any UK travellers who are not fully vaccinated, requiring them to have a negative test in the 24 hours before arrival, rather than the 48 hours allowed previously.
The country has also rolled out a new health pass which means people need proof of vaccination to enter places such as museums and cinemas.
France has recently introduced a new health pass which means proof of vaccination is needed to enter amenities
Meanwhile Norway, external initially only accepted Norwegian, Danish, Swedish or EU digital Covid certificates as proof of vaccination or previous illness.
From 12 August it began to accept certificates from England and Wales, external as it was able to verify QR codes at the border.
Again this has caused problems for people in Scotland - including one man whose yacht has been stranded in Norway since last August.
People in England can use the NHS app to either download their certificate or have it emailed to them.
Similar systems are in place in Wales and Northern Ireland, and while the NI system went offline following a data breach in early August, it is now up and running again.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced plans "to make full vaccination the condition of entry to nightclubs and other venues where large crowds gather" by the end of September.
Under these new measures, people would show proof of vaccination by using the NHS Covid Pass app in England.
- Published22 May 2021
- Published11 February 2022
