Using your NHS COVID Pass for travel abroad and at venues and settings in England

NHS COVID Pass: what it is and how to get it

The NHS COVID Pass lets you share your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination records or test COVID-19 status in a secure way.

It allows you to show others the details of your COVIDCOVID-19 status:

• vaccine (or vaccines) when travelling abroad to some countries or territories
• as a condition of entry at those venues or events that use the service in England

territories.

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Getting a digital NHS COVID Pass

Get your NHS COVID Pass letter

HowWhat toyou can use theit NHS COVID Pass when travelling abroadfor

International travel

You can show the vaccination records contained within your NHS COVID Pass as proof of your COVIDCOVID-19 status when travelling abroad.

YouIn willaddition alsoto your NHS COVID Pass, you will need to follow additional rules when travelling abroad.

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You should check that yourthe first name and your surname on your passport matchmatches how theyit areis displayed by your NHS COVID Pass at least 2 weeks before you travel. If the names are different, contact your GP practice to have your details updated.

The government is working with the devolved administrations to ensure everyone in the UK is able to show their COVID-19 status.

If you have not been fully vaccinated, you should continue to follow the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to, such as proof of a negative COVID-19 test on arrival. You should carefully research the requirements of your destination country before travelling.

Further details on entry requirements can be found on the GOV.UK foreign travel advice pages and on the websites of your destination country.

See advice about travelling abroad from England during the pandemic

COVIDDomestic boosteruse vaccinationsin England

IfThe you’vegovernment receivedhas arecently boosterannounced vaccinationthat itbusinesses in England can use the NHS COVID Pass.

Some events and venues may choose to ask for the NHS COVID Pass. The government will showwork with organisations where people are likely to be in yourclose proximity to others outside their household to encourage the use of this.

Use of the NHS COVID Pass withinis 5voluntary days.for You’llindividual seeorganisations. However, we encourage the use of the NHS COVID Pass in facilities or events where people are likely to be in close proximity to a 2Dlarge barcodenumber of people from other households for youra fullsustained courseperiod of vaccinationstime.

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• very large structured events such as business events, music and spectator sport events

See guidance around working safely from step 4, including how the NHS COVID Pass can be used to reduce the risk of transmission at venues or storeevents itin withinEngland.

Further guidance on how organisations can use the AppleNHS Wallet.COVID Pass.

Who can get an NHS COVID Pass in England

If you’re aboutaged to18 travel,or over, you shouldcan downloadget an updatedNHS PDFCOVID versionPass offor yourdomestic NHSvenues COVIDand Pass,events.

If you’re aged 16 or storeover, you can get an updatedNHS versionCOVID Pass for travel abroad but you should follow the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to.

For travel abroad

You’llYou alsocan seeobtain your detailedNHS boosterCOVID vaccinationPass informationafter inreceiving either:

• 2 doses of the ‘ViewModerna, COVID-19AstraZeneca records’or sectionPfizer vaccine
• one dose of the Janssen vaccine
• proof of natural immunity shown by a positive PCR test result for COVID-19, lasting for 180 days after the date of the positive test and following completion of the self-isolation period

You must have been vaccinated in England, Wales or Scotland. If you’ve been vaccinated in Scotland, you must be both:

• resident in England
• registered with a GP in England

You can usually obtain your NHS COVID Pass within the24 NHShours Appof having your vaccination. However, it can take up to 5 days for your records to be updated.

For domestic use

For domestic purposes, those 18 and onlineover service.can obtain an NHS COVID Pass if one of the following applies:

• Some2 countriesweeks nowafter requirecompleting travellersa tofull demonstratecourse of vaccination, whether that theyrequires have2 receiveddoses or one dose (that is, 2 doses of the Moderna, AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine, or 1 dose of the Janssen vaccine) (according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency authorised schedule).

• with evidence of a COVID-19negative approvedpolymerase vaccinationchain reaction (PCR) or rapid lateral flow test taken within 18048 days,hours orof entry to a boostervenue, dosewith noboth lessat-home thanand 14on-site (where available) being accepted. A lateral flow test taken at home will need to be reported into the public reporting system

• proof of natural immunity shown by a positive PCR test result for COVID-19, lasting for 180 days beforefrom enteringthe date of the country.positive test and following completion of the self-isolation period

How to useaccess the NHS COVID Pass

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FurtherFrom guidance23 onSeptember, howyou organisationswill canalso usebe able to store your COVID Pass for international travel into Apple Wallet, even if your device is offline. You will see the ‘Add to Apple Wallet’ button on your screen within the NHS App. If you store both your international and domestic NHS COVID Pass.Passes, you will see 2 separate cards stored in your Apple Wallet.

Whatand download or print it as a PDF document. To access the barcodesservice, andyou’ll expiryneed datesto mean

register for an NHS login if you do not have one already. NHS login registrations may take longer than usual when there are high numbers of requests.

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On The expiry date does not apply to your NHSvaccination COVIDstatus. passAny forexpiry travel,date refers only to the barcode and will update automatically. If you maydownload seeand moreprint thana onecopy, barcode.the expiry date will eventually show as expired and will not automatically refresh.

Using the NHS COVID Pass for international travel

If you’ve received a full course of a vaccine requiring 2 doses, you will see 2 barcodes:barcodes within the NHS App: one barcode forper eachvaccine.

If vaccinationyou dose.print a PDF of your COVID Pass status, your printed copy will show 2 barcodes. The printed copy is valid until its expiry date.

A full course of vaccine requiring one dose will be displayed as a single barcode.

Request an NHS COVID Pass letter to be posted to you

Request a letter only if you:

• within

  have been fully vaccinated by the NHS in England

• are planning to travel in the next 4 weeks to a country that requires evidence of COVID-19 vaccination

You can obtain an NHS COVID Pass at age 16 plus but do not need one to access venues or events in England if you are under 18 years of age.

You can request an NHS COVID Pass letter:

• via the NHS Appwebsite
• by calling 119 (select the ‘NHS COVID Pass service’) if you savedo ornot printhave aaccess PDFto ofa yoursmartphone, NHScomputer COVIDor Passtablet

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If refresh.you got a COVID-19 post-vaccination letter before 5 July, this is still valid. You willdo not need to logapply intofor a new version.

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GOV.UK foreign travel advice pages, as requirements for testing and vaccination can vary from country to country.

If youyou’ve gethad a COVID-19 booster vaccination

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Get foreign travel advice

For domestic use itin ifEngland

You can see your originalbooster vaccination information under ‘View COVID-19 records’ in the domestic COVID PassPass.

However, hasyou ordo isnot dueneed a COVID-19 booster vaccination to expire.get an NHS COVID Pass for domestic use in England.

Find out more about the coronavirus (COVID-19) booster vaccine

What the NHS COVID Pass letter tells you: translated versions and alternative formats

IfThe you request an NHS COVID Pass letter, the letter you receive will be in English.

You can get information about what the letter tells you in other languages and alternative formats.

However, you’ll still need to show the original English letter to demonstrate your COVID status, for example when travelling abroad. You do not need your letter in a language to match the country you’re intending to travel to.

Translated versions

Read translated versions about what the NHS COVID Pass letter tells you.

Easy read

Read an easy-read guide about what the NHS COVID Pass letter tells you.

Braille and large print

You can get a Braille or large print version of the NHS COVID Pass letter via the NHS website or by calling 119 (select the ‘NHS COVID Pass service’).

Audio format

You can get an audio version of the NHS COVID Pass letter via the NHS website or by calling 119. Your letter and the audio file on a CD will be sent directly to you. It should arrive within 7 working days.

British Sign Language (BSL)(BSL)

Watch a video about the NHS COVID Pass letter in BSL,BSL, not including personal details.

Watch a video about the NHS COVID Pass letter in BSL

If you cannot get an NHS COVID Pass letter

If the 119 service cannot provide you with a letter, there may be some information that is either missing or incorrect. The service will write to inform you if this is the case.

If you cannot get an NHS COVID Pass letter: translated versions and alternative formats

The letter you receive in the post will be in English. You can check your vaccination record and follow instructions in various translations of the letter, not including your personal information, in different languages. These are to help people who read those languages.

You can also access the information in a range of alternative formats.

Easy read

Read an easy-read guide about what to do if you cannot get an NHS COVID Pass letter.

Braille and large print

To get this letter in Braille or large print, please call 119 (select the ‘NHS COVID Pass service’) or order the letter online via the NHS website.

British Sign Language (BSL)(BSL)

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Residents in England who have taken part in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials

IfResidents you live in England andthat have taken part, or are taking part, in a COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial,trials you will have received a letter from yourtheir clinical trial site.

The letter ensures that anyone vaccinated as part of a COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial can prove they were in a clinical trial and therefore should be recognised as fully vaccinated.

If you did not receive this letter, contact your clinical trial site.

This commitment was made by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer in an open letter on 11 June 2021.

TheWe governmentare is working with the devolved administrations to ensure a consistent UK approach. ItWe isare also working to ensure that all those who tookparticipated part in COVID-19 vaccine trials can access their vaccine records via the NHS App or NHS.UK.NHS.UK

Domestic use in England

If you took part in a clinical trial within England you should also be able to use the NHS App or NHS.UK to obtain an NHS COVID Pass for domestic use in England.

The letter and NHS COVID Pass can be used when demonstrating your COVIDCOVID-19 status in England.

International travel

If you took part in a clinical trial within England which was ‘unblinded’ (that is, you were toldinformed whichof the vaccine was used), then you should be able to use the NHS App or NHS.UK to obtain an NHS COVID Pass for international travel from England. Before you travel abroad, check the entry rules for the country you want to go to.

If you took part in a clinical trial within England which was ‘blinded’ (that is, you were not toldinformed whichof the vaccine was used), it is recommended that you consider other options for demonstrating your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad, such as additional testing.

All UK residents who have taken part or are taking part in clinical trials will not need to quarantine when returning to the UK from abroad, unless they’ve been in a country on the red list in the 10 days before they arrive.

Check the rules on entering England from abroad.

Novavax vaccine

If you took part in clinical trials and received a full dose of the Novavax vaccine, you can now use the NHS COVID Pass to demonstrate your COVIDCOVID-19 status. If you experience issues with obtaining your NHS COVID Pass, contact your clinical trial site.

Before travelling abroad, youwe shouldrecommend that you check the entry requirements of your intended destination country, including which vaccines are recognised by them.

Children

Children under 18 do not have to demonstrate their COVIDCOVID-19 status for entry to domestic events or venues in England.

Children aged 16 or over can get an NHS COVID Pass for travel but should follow the entry requirements of the country they are travelling to. Further details on entry requirements can be found on the GOV.UK foreign travel advice pages and on the websites of your destination country.