A new system to demonstrate your Covid-19 vaccination status has been launched for when patients travel abroad. People are being asked NOT to contact their GP practice for letters confirming their vaccination status.
Covid-19 vaccination status is available to people who live in England and are registered with a GP. Vaccination status is available in digital or paper form.
There are not many countries that accept proof of vaccination so people will still be required to follow other rules when travelling abroad such as getting a negative pre-departure test. People may still be required to show other proof of a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, and may also be required to isolate upon arrival at their destination or upon return to the UK.
Practices and patients can check the entry requirements for countries on the GOV.UK foreign travel.
To get your Covid-19 vaccination status online, patients will need to register for an NHS login if they don’t have one already. Proof of vaccination status is free through the NHS App for people aged over 16 and registered with a GP in England.
If your patients don’t have access to a smartphone, computer, or tablet to access their vaccination status online they can telephone 119, and request a letter confirming their status. The letter can be requested in different languages to help people whose first language may not be English. Vaccination letters are also available in Easy Read format, Braille, large print, and audio format by contacting 119.
People who have a hearing impairment can watch a video about post-vaccination confirmation status here.
GOV.UK have produced some suggested website text:
From 17 May 2021, people in England who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can demonstrate their vaccination status for international travel. A full course is currently two doses of any approved vaccine. Vaccine status will be available from:
- the NHS App which you can download from app stores
- the NHS website
It may take more than a week for your identity to be checked and verified so you can use this service.
If you cannot access the online services, and you have had 2 vaccines, you can request a paper letter from the NHS by calling 119. Only call 119 if you are due to travel abroad in the near future and have had your second dose more than 5 working days ago. It may take 7 working days for the letter to arrive.
This practice is not able to provide you with a letter that shows your COVID-19 vaccination status.
When you’re planning your travel, check the latest information on demonstrating your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad on the gov.uk website. Make sure there is time to get proof of your vaccination status before you leave.
Suggested wording when speaking directly to patients;
You can use this script for answerphone messages, or speaking to patients directly:
GP practices cannot provide you with a COVID-19 vaccination status letter. You can demonstrate your vaccination status by downloading the NHS App. It may take more than a week for your identity to be checked and verified. For more information visit www.nhs.uk/nhsapp.
If you do not have internet access, have had 2 vaccines, and are due to travel abroad in the near future, you can request a paper letter from the NHS by calling 119. Only call 119 if you had your second dose more than 5 working days ago. It may take 7 working days for the letter to arrive.
Twitter suggested text;
You can use this message on Twitter:
If you need to prove your COVID-19 vaccination status please download the #NHSApp. More info at nhs.uk/nhsapp and www.gov.uk/guidance/demonstrating-your-covid-19-vaccination-status-when-travelling-abroad
Stay safe and keep healthy
