Covid vaccine letters available to Manx travellers

About 70% of the island's adult population has been fully vaccinated

Isle of Man residents who need proof of their Covid-19 vaccination status to travel outside the Common Travel Area can request a letter from Manx Care, the health minister has said.

David Ashford said the letters were an "interim solution" until islanders could access the NHS Covid Pass scheme.

Proof of a jab is not needed to visit the UK, the Channel Islands or Ireland.

Mr Ashford said those travelling beyond the CTA should "check in advance" that a letter would secure entry.

More than 51,000 people on the island - about 71% of the adult population - have now received both doses of the jab and work is ongoing to allow island residents to use the UK NHS app as proof of vaccine status.

The NHS Covid Pass cannot currently be used EU-wide, though individual countries such as Greece and Spain do accept it.

Only those travelling outside the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands in the next two weeks are eligible to apply for letters.

At present, only destinations within the CTA can be reached directly from the island.

Mr Ashford said the use of letters was necessary as many countries had now introduced measures to "waive testing and isolation for fully vaccinated travellers".

However, he warned that the government could not be held "responsible for any disruption where a travel provider will not accept the letter".

"Anyone fully vaccinated travelling outside of the UK should check in advance with their travel that the letter will be accepted as proof of vaccination status," he added.