Passport stamps or certificates to show proof of Covid vaccination could become law for travellers

There are rumours that a passport stamp or internationally recognised certificate proving that a person has been vaccinated against coronavirus could be introduced in the future.

The documentation could make travelling easier amid the ongoing pandemic, reports the Telegraph.

Providing proof of vaccination

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

When coronavirus vaccines are rolled out, UK residents who have received one could have their passports stamped in order to prove it.

It is thought that the International Air Transport Association (Iata) will urge the newly appointed minister for Covid Vaccine Deployment, Nadhim Zahawi, to work with other governments on a common standard for certification.

The initiative would aim to open up travel and avoid the possibility of passengers being asked to receive additional vaccinations.

Conservative MP, James Sunderland, recently suggested using passport stamps as proof of vaccination, asking Prime Minister Boris Johnson if he had thought about “the utility of having vaccination stamps in passports, or an equivalent scheme, to get our plans off the ground.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Johnson replied that Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, was “looking at all such schemes.”

‘Could lead to coercion’

However, the possibility of needing proof of vaccination in order to travel has caused split views, with some saying it’s a good idea, while others have said it could lead to “coercion.”

In a tweet, travel operator Tradewinds said, “We feel that bodily autonomy with regard to medical intervention is a personal choice and not something to be forced onto people by businesses.

“We are not anti-vaccination but we are pro-choice. There is a huge difference between coercion and making a free choice.”

Meanwhile, Alan Joyce, chief executive of Qantas, has said that the Australian airline may insist on passengers on longer flights having proof of having had a coronavirus vaccine.