Britons face a dizzying overseas holiday map this summer. And that’s quite apart from the complications of our traffic light system for travel. Each day seems to bring at least one new development in the entry restrictions of EU countries, with the vaccination status of travellers proving increasingly important.
Two of our favourite European holiday destinations– Portugal and France – are among the countries that are only open to UK adults if they are fully vaccinated.
A number of other (amber-listed) summer break stalwarts, including Spain, Greece and Cyprus, will permit entry with a negative PCR test or evidence of full vaccination. This means entry for those that have yet to be jabbed comes with an extra cost of up to around £150 per person for a pre-departure test.
As such, it is welcome news that Health Secretary Sajid Javid, is set to create a clearer path for travel to EU countries with a new NHS app ready to bypass the German Chancellor’s demands for the whole Bloc to impose quarantine on arrivals from the UK.
The new (or updated) app will act as a Covid passport for travel, allowing Britons to prove that they are fully vaccinated, that they have passed a pre-departure test or that they have recovered from Covid in the previous 180 days. This will mean the NHS app is ready to be integrated into the EU’s identical green pass system. The EU digital Covid certificate for travel is expected to be available across the EU from today (July 1) and will allow travel between member states. Each member state must develop its own implementation of the pass, such as an app.
Below we run through some of the key questions on Covid passports and EU travel.
When will UK travellers be able to use the app across the EU?
There is no set date, however recent comments from the European Commission suggest an agreement with the EU as a bloc should come soon. That said, member states can decide on their own entry rules. Germany has a UK travel ban in place, for instance.
“We are technically ready to be integrated into the EU database that will recognise your digital NHS signature and allow you to demonstrate your Covid status,” a senior industry source told The Telegraph.
“There are some glitches with private test providers struggling to register their tests quickly enough but, once those are resolved, all that is required is for the EU to allow non-EU countries to be integrated.”
A European Commission spokesman said talks on the UK’s participation in the green pass system were “progressing well”, adding: “The talks are ongoing at the technical level and going in the right direction. This is because the technical system architecture of the EU and the UK are aligned.”
Will it make European holidays any easier?
Yes, it should help to reduce some of the Covid-related admin that comes with travel to any EU country at the moment.
If you are visiting a country which allows quarantine-free entry with proof of previous infection from coronavirus, then NHS certification could grant you access where a PCR test would not, or at least save you the cost and hassle of a PCR or rapid test,
Could it be used to exempt fully-vaccinated Britons from quarantine on return to the UK?
Double-jabbed UK citizens could see quarantine waived on their return from amber countries later this summer, as part of plans being considered by the Government.
However, Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, said the policy was “complicated” and reliant on whether children should receive the vaccine – something that is still being considered by Government scientists.
Mr Shapps told the House of Commons on June 29: “This is a complicated policy that requires time to work through. First, the Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisations has yet to opine on whether children should be part of the vaccination programme – they’re not at present and we must resolve how children would therefore be treated under a programme which enables people to travel.
“Next there’s the question of what to do for people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons or perhaps because they’re on one of the vaccine trials. That accounts for about half a million people and we need to work out what to do there.”
Do all EU countries currently accept the NHS app as evidence of vaccination?
Most green-listed or major European destinations are accepting the app as proof, though each country has the ability to change their stance on this at short notice.
Which vaccines does the EU recognise?
The vaccines that have been approved for use in the UK are also approved in the European Union. However, some of them are known by different names.
- Pfizer-BioNTech is known as Comirnaty
- Oxford-AstraZeneca (AZ) is known as Vaxzevria
- Moderna is known as Spikevax
- Janssen (sometimes referred to as the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) is the same as in the UK
How does the NHS app work at the moment?
The NHS app works by allowing people to register details such as their name, postcode and NHS number to link the app with their health record held by their GP.
This information is then shown in the app once people have logged into it, allowing them to see their vaccination record as well as other medical information such as allergies and appointment records.
To find your vaccination status in the app, users can click the tab ‘your health’ and then click a box called ‘check your Covid-19 vaccine record’.
In order to travel, you may be required to click the tab ‘share your Covid-19 status’. On the next screen, hit ‘continue’ and then ‘travel’ and this should generate a QR code. This can be downloaded as a PDF, or you can ask for it to be sent to your email address.
How does it keep my data private?
The Government guidance states: “Your Covid-19 vaccination status is held securely within the NHS App, and can only be accessed via the NHS login service.
“The COVID-19 vaccination service only shows your COVID-19 vaccination status in the form of your vaccination record.
“The COVID-19 vaccination status service can be accessed via the NHS App or NHS.UK.
“When you access your COVID-19 vaccination status via the NHS App, or directly via the NHS website, you will need to use your NHS login.”
What if my GP name does not match my passport name?
Then you might not be able to use it to travel. The Department of Health and Social Care, which is in charge of the app, recommends that passengers check the name on their passport matches how it is displayed on their Covid-19 vaccination status at least two weeks before travel.
It said if different, passengers are advised to contact their GP practice to have their details updated.
How do I change my details with my GP?
The NHS says: “Contact your GP surgery and ask them to update your details. They will then update your NHS record. Any changes made there will appear in the NHS App.”
How do I change the name on my passport?
You must apply for a new passport, which can take up to 10 weeks. It is important to remember that your details need to match those of some holiday bookings, like flights, for example.
You can contact your airline to change the name of a flight booking, though you may be charged.