Coronavirus Vaccination Certificate for Travel: Questions and Answers

Times continue to be challenging for travelers. As the world prepares to reopen in 2021, we're here to help you keep dreaming and planning adventures—whether it's a short break close to home or a flight to parts of the world undiscovered. News about tourism against the backdrop of COVID-19 will help you stay informed and not miss the moment when it's time for your next trip.

Updated April 30, 2021. Information is current at the time of publication. To stay up to date with the latest changes, check the data on the websites of Rospotrebnadzor and the Russian Ministry of Health.

COVID-19 vaccination certificates: answers to key questions

• Coronavirus vaccination certificate - what is it?
• How does it differ from the Russian certificate of preventive vaccinations?
• Why do you need electronic proof of coronavirus vaccination?
• Applications - health certificates: what are they?
• Vaccination passport and health passport - what is the difference between them?
• Where have they already started using vaccination and health certificates?
• Will digital vaccination and health certificates help open borders faster?
• What do opponents of the introduction of digital vaccination certificates say?
• What are the potential benefits of certificates?
• When will digital health certificates be available?
• Which countries have announced they will accept vaccination certificates?
• How can I confirm a vaccination or PCR test while traveling while the certificates have not been entered?
• Could a vaccination certificate be required elsewhere?
• Are electronic vaccination certificates issued in Russia and where can I get them?

What is an electronic coronavirus vaccination certificate and why is it needed?

An electronic COVID-19 vaccination certificate is a digital document that certifies that you have been vaccinated against coronavirus infection.

In some countries it is already possible to obtain an electronic vaccination certificate, but mainly for the future. In the future, with the help of e-certificates, it will be possible to quickly confirm the completed course of vaccination - similar to electronic boarding on a plane. But at the moment, the practical use of e-certificates has not been worked out almost anywhere.

Since January 2021, after receiving the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine, Russians, in addition to a paper certificate with marks of two vaccinations, receive its electronic version on the website or application of the State Services.

Since April 2021, the electronic vaccination certificate at State Services is available not only in Russian, but also in English. In the English version, the international passport number is indicated if it was entered in advance in the personal account of the State Services.

It is not yet clear where a Russian web certificate may be required and whether it will be widely accepted abroad.

“It must be taken into account that the rules of international regulation and requirements regarding vaccination are still being formed so that Russians can use certificates from the State Services portal to travel abroad,” said Oleg Kachanov, Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Digital Development.

What is a vaccination passport? What about a health passport?

There is confusion in the terms, but strictly speaking, a health passport, a vaccination passport and a health certificate are different things.

• Digital health passport , available in some countries, contains all data about a person’s health, including chronic diseases, injuries, allergies, and vaccinations.
• The vaccination passport includes information about the vaccinations received. They started talking about vaccine passports in the context of lifting anti-coronavirus restrictions within the country. They were primarily intended to be used not for international travel, but for access to major domestic events. The idea of ​​vaccination passports is causing intense debate due to the fact that not everyone is able or willing to get vaccinated.
• The health certificate (digital travel pass) contains only information that is related to coronavirus: vaccination, presence of antibodies, PCR tests. Access to data is usually severely limited.

When it comes to travel, it is more appropriate to talk about a health certificate than a vaccination passport. But in practice, these terms are often used interchangeably.

How have digital health certificates evolved?

Many countries have been in favor of electronic confirmation of coronavirus status since the beginning of the pandemic.

In China, in February 2021, residents of large cities were required to install the Alipay Health Code mobile application. It assigned QR codes of different colors based on travel history and exposure to COVID-19 carriers. Having received a green code, a person could move without restrictions; with a yellow code, he was required to observe seven days of self-isolation; with a red code, he was required to undergo a two-week quarantine. Coronavirus contact tracing apps were later used in other countries.

At the G20 summit in November 2020, Chinese leader Xi Jinping proposed introducing QR codes based on test results internationally.

In Chile, in April 2021, they announced the issuance of QR codes to those who have recovered from coronavirus. It was assumed that their owners would be freed from restrictions and would be able to return to work, but the project was quickly scrapped: opponents criticized it for discriminating against those who had not recovered.

In Estonia, the Immuunsuspass application was launched by the summer of 2020. An immunity passport gives you access to Covid test results within an hour of identity confirmation. You can share your results using a QR code that expires within a minute. Temporary restrictions have been introduced to protect personal data.

in Israel in January 2021. They are issued to citizens a week after the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine or to those who have recovered from the disease if they have antibodies. Since the end of February, fitness centers, swimming pools, hotels, cultural and sporting events have been available to holders of “green passports” with a QR code. Israeli authorities believe that this approach will help quickly restore the economy, but have been criticized for dividing society into vaccinated and unvaccinated.

In Greece, in January 2021, electronic certificates of vaccination against coronavirus began to be issued. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called for the creation of a pan-European digital coronavirus vaccination certificate. At the same time, he emphasized that we are not talking about Covid passports and the vaccination received will not be a prerequisite for travel.

Where are international e-health certificates developed and how are they supposed to be used?

In addition to national e-certificates, there are plans to introduce similar documents at the interstate level. Here are some of them.

EU: Digital Green Certificate

On March 17, 2021, the European Commission presented a draft single certificate within the EU. The working title is Digital Green Pass. Essentially, this is a health certificate: it should include information about vaccination, if any, about antibodies after recovery from coronavirus, as well as about PCR tests. This pass will be available in digital and paper form with a QR code for authentication. According to the creators, “green passes” will appear in Europe by mid-June and will provide holders with freedom of movement within the EU. However, vaccination will not be a requirement for travel.

On April 29, 2021, Members of the European Parliament put forward a demand that a “COVID-19 certificate for the EU” (and not a “digital green pass”, as previously proposed) should be introduced for no longer than a year. It is once again emphasized that the certificate will confirm vaccination, the presence of antibodies or tests performed. Certificate holders will not undergo quarantine, self-isolation or additional testing when traveling within the European Union.

WHO: Smart Vaccination Certificate

The WHO has repeatedly stated that it does not recommend introducing vaccination certificates as a condition for international travel: the vaccine is not yet available to many and there is not enough data on how long immunity lasts after vaccination.

However, since the summer of 2020, WHO has been involved in projects to create e-vaccination certificates. Last October, Estonia, together with WHO, began a project to develop a digital vaccination certificate, a “smart yellow card.” One of the goals of the project is to introduce interoperability of health data and ensure equitable access to vaccines through the COVAX platform.

In December 2020, WHO announced the recruitment of experts to develop a “smart certificate”. Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation for Social Policy Tatyana Golikova said: “WHO has invited the Russian Federation to actively participate in this work.”

IATA: Travel Pass

A certificate application for air passengers was developed by the International Air Transport Association. It contains entry requirements for countries, information about certified laboratories for taking PCR tests while traveling, test results and vaccination data with the ability to transmit them safely. airBaltic, Singapore Airlines and other airlines joined in testing the application. On 17 March 2021, the first passenger with an IATA Travel Pass health certificate arrived from Singapore to London. Aeroflot said that global use of the application could begin this fall.

The Commons Project: CommonPass

A non-profit organization from Geneva has created an alternative e-passenger certificate application - CommonPass. The idea is to create an international system that allows travelers to easily and reliably prove vaccination or PCR test results for the coronavirus. The platform evaluates whether a person's data meets the requirements to enter the country and provides the result in the form of a QR code, without revealing other health data. The app is already being tested on select flights with Lufthansa, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue and Cathay Pacific.

IBM: Digital Health Pass

IBM's app allows schools, offices, stadiums, airlines and others to select health requirements for employees and visitors (such as negative coronavirus tests) and easily track compliance.

All employees of consumer service enterprises must have health certificates. In addition, those who work in the contact zone (receptionists) must have vaccination certificates. What is it and how do you get it, says Andrey Parfenyev.

Vaccinations administered to a person are recorded in two established forms of basic medical records. This is a vaccination card - form 063/u and a vaccination certificate - form 156/u-93. Both documents, when completed correctly, have equal force and significance.

Standard form 156/u-93 has a passport part and pages with tables containing information about the state of the human immune system. In addition to the last name, first name, patronymic and address, the passport section contains a column about blood type and Rh factor. On this page the corner stamp of the medical institution that issued the certificate and its official seal are affixed.

On the remaining pages, in the appropriate columns, information about vaccinations and reactions to them is entered. Data on past infectious diseases and studies of immunity strength are recorded. The administered immunoglobulins are noted. Enter information about the Mantoux reaction. There are sections for vaccinations against flu and other infections. Only medical workers have the right to fill out the vaccination certificate. Each entry is certified by the doctor’s signature and the seal of the medical institution (“triangle” - “For certificates and certificates of temporary incapacity for work”).

If you do not have a vaccination certificate, you should be concerned about obtaining one. To do this, you need to go to your local therapist with a pre-purchased blank form. They are sold in hospitals and kiosks selling printed materials. If the local hospital cannot issue the document or takes a very long time to complete it, then another medical institution that has permission to conduct vaccinations will help. You must have with you: a passport, a blank certificate form, an outpatient card.

Every year. If you have no contraindications to vaccination against influenza, then you should repeat the vaccination annually - you can avoid sick leave in the standard “epidemic” January and February.

Once every 3 years. Getting vaccinated against some infections is useful for people in epidemic areas: for example, those who like to walk in the woods should consider getting vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis. An alternative could be an insurance policy that guarantees free medical care in case of a tick bite, but remember: a vaccine is always safer than the possible consequences of an infection (even with timely and correct treatment).

Every 5–7 years. Hepatitis B is transmitted through sexual contact and during medical procedures, so virtually every adult is at risk. Vaccination against this disease is carried out in three stages (two injections a month apart and another one six months later), and immunity lasts 5–10 years. Considering that this disease is a proven causative agent of liver cancer, the issue of vaccination should be resolved without any delay.

Every 10 years. Tetanus, whooping cough and diphtheria: not everyone knows that vaccination against these infections (DTP or modern analogues) must be repeated every 10 years. Even your attending doctor sometimes forgets about this (besides, a doctor who has been observing a patient for decades is more a rarity than the norm today).

It is not difficult to organize the vaccination itself: contact your general practitioner for advice. The doctor will check whether you have any contraindications, and at the same time (if you end up in a state clinic) will tell you which drugs are administered free of charge, as part of compulsory medical insurance. But even if you have to go to a commercial center, consider getting vaccinated as a wise investment in your health.

Conduct a blood test for the presence of antibodies to viral hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, polio (for three types of virus), measles, rubella, mumps, and whooping cough. To do this, a RPGA reaction is carried out with the appropriate diagnosticum (diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps) or ELISA (whooping cough, hepatitis, rubella).

Algorithm:

1. Go to your local clinic and ask your therapist what vaccines are on your card.
2. Get tested for antibodies to those diseases for which this is required.
3. Find out if the clinic has vaccines and their names.
4. Find a private medical center that is licensed to provide vaccinations.
5. Find out which pharmacies sell vaccines.
6. Set up a vaccination schedule with your doctor. Several vaccines can be administered at the same time; it is not necessary to take breaks between different drugs. It all depends on the instructions for each specific vaccine.
7. Get your vaccinations on this schedule.

Will digital vaccination certificates help open borders faster?

Supporters of the introduction of health certificates believe that this measure will help to soon open borders to travelers and revive travel.

According to the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the “digital green pass”, the draft of which was presented in March 2021 and which should include all data on a person’s Covid status, is being created in order to gradually restore the opportunity to safely travel within the European Union and outside for leisure and work.

Conditions for entry into different countries during the pandemic are constantly changing. Somewhere you need a PCR test done within a certain time, somewhere they simplify entry after vaccination, and in some areas quarantine is still in effect. Electronic certificates will link disparate information about country requirements and a person’s status in relation to coronavirus into a single whole, which will simplify preparations for travel and control procedures along the way.

Most supporters of electronic certificates explicitly state that they are not passports and vaccination will not be a requirement for travel. Coronavirus vaccination certificates are now being seen as a way to conveniently store and transmit information. Despite this, the idea of ​​standardized Covid certificates still has many opponents, who point to ethical and technical problems.

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What are the difficulties and arguments against the introduction of Covid certificates?

The main argument against introducing vaccination certificates is that they could create inequalities. Mass vaccination is gaining momentum, but there are still not enough vaccines. Some cannot get vaccinated for health reasons or do not want to for their own reasons.

Many countries believe that vaccination should be voluntary, but there are already examples of vaccinated people receiving benefits. This raises serious concerns and talk of possible discrimination.

“We all want to get out of the pandemic as quickly as possible, but this should not come at the expense of our rights and freedoms and should not lead to socially vulnerable people finding themselves in an even more precarious situation,” said the British human rights organization Liberty. “Introducing even a voluntary immunization passport to prove vaccination could result in many being unable to access certain services, jobs and housing.”

“It will take a long time to vaccinate the entire population, especially in less developed countries and across different age groups. We must not discriminate against those who want to travel but are not vaccinated,” said Gloria Guevara, head of the World Travel and Tourism Council.

However, at this stage, international electronic certificates are not intended to weed out the unvaccinated. Their goal is to collect information about PCR tests performed, antibodies and possible vaccinations in a secure and convenient form.

In the future, e-health certificates may be useful when crossing borders, but entry rules in any case are set by countries, not by the creators of the certificates. If a state opens its borders to travelers with a negative PCR test, such a certificate simply helps fulfill the necessary requirements. For those who do not have smartphones, it is planned to introduce paper equivalents of certificates.

What other difficulties do developers of electronic certificates face?

Unified certificate standards. For digital health and vaccination certificates to work internationally, they must meet the same standard, which by definition cannot be created and implemented quickly. Countries are already working on creating a standardized document, but there are still more questions than answers.

Protection of personal information. One of the most pressing questions is how to store testing and vaccination data in a mobile application without leaks. Developers of electronic certificates are actively working with blockchain technology in combination with the issuance of QR codes. This should ensure strict confidentiality and reliably protect data.

When will digital health certificates be available?

It is now difficult to say exactly when travelers from Russia will be able to use a digital health certificate to confirm a vaccination course or a negative PCR test.

Aeroflot reported that the use of the digital pass for air passengers IATA Travel Pass may begin in the fall of 2021.

In addition, negotiations are underway with different countries on the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates. But it is too early to talk about exact dates: the countries still have a lot to agree on.

Which countries have already announced that they plan to welcome tourists vaccinated against coronavirus?

Some countries have reported their readiness to accept tourists who have completed a full course of vaccinations against coronavirus, without quarantine and the need to take PCR tests.

Cyprus was the first European country to announce that it plans to lift quarantine requirements for tourists with proven vaccination against COVID-19. From May 10, 2021, the country is ready to accept travelers, including those vaccinated with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, without PCR tests.

to Bulgaria with a vaccination certificate, including Sputnik V. PCR tests are not needed in this case.

Since April, it has been possible to fly to the Maldives two weeks after the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. With a vaccination certificate and without PCR tests, you can go on vacation to Georgia : any vaccines are suitable. A certificate of immunization with Sputnik V is also accepted in Croatia .

Greece, Israel, Portugal, Seychelles, Estonia, Spain and Thailand announced their plans to accept vaccinated tourists without requiring additional tests and quarantine . But until intergovernmental agreements are reached on vaccine recognition and standards for vaccination certificates, these plans remain hypothetical.

The Ministry of Health spoke about electronic certificates of vaccinations against COVID-19

1. What is the function of an immunization certificate? Is this just a certificate stating that you have been vaccinated? Or is it assumed that some restrictions will be attached to the document (for example, restrictions at work, bans on traveling abroad)?

Answer: An electronic vaccination certificate currently confirms that a citizen has been vaccinated against a new coronavirus infection. The issue of using electronic certificates is still being studied.

2. How is vaccination information converted into an electronic certificate? Among those who have already been vaccinated and received a paper certificate, there are examples when a person does not see the electronic certificate in his account on the government services website. It is an accident? Or will people who got vaccinated before January need to worry about “translating” a paper document into electronic form?

Answer: Vaccination information must be entered into the federal registry of vaccinated individuals. The information is entered by the medical organization where the vaccination was carried out. If a person has been vaccinated, two components of the vaccine have been administered to him, but the vaccination certificate is not available on the government services portal, he must contact the medical organization where the vaccination was carried out with a request to enter information into the federal register of vaccinated people. Entering data for issuing an electronic certificate occurs after the second vaccination.

3. Information is being spread on social networks that the EU allegedly plans to introduce immunization passports and tie the issuance of Schengen visas to their availability. Moreover, we are talking about vaccinations made with vaccines certified in the EU. Our correspondents in Europe checked this information, so far there are no concrete decisions, although discussions on this topic are ongoing. But Russian vaccines are not certified in Europe and America. Does this mean that Russians may be “not allowed to travel abroad”?

Answer: Currently, the Russian Ministry of Health does not have confirmation of this information. There is also no precedent for requiring vaccination with specific vaccines registered in a particular state as a condition for issuing temporary entry visas. The Ministry continues to monitor the discussion on this issue in the European Union.

4. Is there some kind of international procedure for the mutual recognition of vaccinations and vaccines? After all, even now, when entering some countries where dangerous infections are endemic, it is necessary to get the appropriate vaccination (for yellow fever - mandatory, against some other infections - desirable)? But there are no requirements to be vaccinated with certain drugs.

Answer: The generally accepted international mechanism for recognizing vaccinations required by individual states for visiting epidemiologically disadvantaged regions is the WHO Certificate of Preventive Vaccinations (Article 36 of the International Health Regulations, third edition (International Health Regations, 2005).

To prevent yellow fever, the certificate includes vaccines prequalified by WHO (Appendix 7 of the Rules, paragraph “e”, p. 53).

Regarding the new coronavirus infection, there are currently no WHO prequalified vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19.

At the same time, since 2009, the Russian vaccine for the prevention of yellow fever has received WHO approval and is widely used for vaccination of persons visiting countries with yellow fever outbreaks.

Also in 2021, Russia successfully passed a WHO audit to determine whether its regulatory system complies with the Organization’s requirements for countries exporting vaccines for international programs.

5. Regarding the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, it was reported that documents have been submitted to the WHO to receive recommendations for its use. What does such a document provide? Are there any plans to obtain approval for international use of other Russian vaccines (in particular, EpiVacCorona)?

Answer : The WHO process for authorizing the use of medical products (vaccines, drugs, test systems) in emergency situations includes a documentary assessment of the vaccine dossier by a special WHO expert committee, taking into account the analysis of international requirements and the latest scientific data on new methods of prevention and treatment of coronavirus infection.

Emergency use approval and subsequent prequalification of vaccines allows vaccines to be supplied to UN programs and also facilitates access to foreign markets.

The issue of the WHO prequalification procedure for vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19 is still under development, including due to the impossibility of the Organization’s specialists conducting in-person inspections of production sites during the pandemic. Domestic producers will apply for requalification when this becomes possible.

In December 2021, the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Gamaleya Center submitted a dossier to the WHO to seek emergency use approval for the Sputnik V vaccine. This is routine practice for early approval of vaccines to prevent COVID-19. Expert consultations on the results of the dossier analysis will be held in January this year. We expect a decision from the WHO in the first half of 2021.

Digital coronavirus vaccination certificate in Russia: the most important questions

How to obtain an electronic coronavirus vaccination certificate from State Services? Russians receive a digital certificate after receiving the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine. It is generated automatically in Russian and English in your personal account on the website and in the State Services application, as well as in the “State Services STOP Coronavirus” application. It can be viewed online and downloaded in pdf format.

What does a Russian electronic vaccination certificate against coronavirus (COVID-19) look like? Essentially, this is an electronic version of the vaccination certificate. It contains the same information as a regular certificate: full name, passport number, date of birth, gender, place and dates of administration of the two components of the vaccine, name of the drug. The international passport number is automatically added to the certificate in English if it is entered in your personal account on State Services. The electronic document also contains a QR code that can be used to verify its authenticity.

What to do if you have completed both stages of vaccination, but the certificate does not appear on the State Services? Make sure that your passport, policy and SNILS data are entered correctly in your personal account on State Services. If everything is correct, but there is still no certificate, contact the vaccination point where you were vaccinated.

Why do you need an electronic vaccination certificate from the State Services? For now, an electronic vaccination certificate only confirms that a person has actually been vaccinated against coronavirus infection. Its presence does not exempt you from compliance with measures to combat COVID-19, in particular, from wearing a mask in transport and public places.

Is the digital vaccination certificate from the State Services recognized abroad? There is no exact answer to this question yet. On January 4, 2021, Vladimir Putin instructed the government to consider the issue of issuing certificates to those vaccinated with Russian vaccines and the international recognition of these certificates. Since April, an electronic certificate for State Services has been issued not only in Russian, but also in English. It is known that negotiations are planned on free border crossings with this document. Since March 2021, Russian travelers have been using certificates (mostly paper) at the border with Georgia and Montenegro: those vaccinated do not need to take PCR tests. Those vaccinated with Sputnik V without PCR tests are promised to be accepted in Croatia, which has resumed issuing tourist visas. But the question of wide international recognition of the State Services certificate remains open.

Do I need to translate my vaccination certificate before traveling abroad? Yes, according to the rules, medical documents must be issued in English or the language of the country you are traveling to. There are cases when, when traveling abroad, a certificate in Russian was sufficient, but it is more reliable to have a translation. Whether an English-language electronic certificate from the State Services will be suitable is still an open question.

Where can you fly abroad and which countries are currently open?

It’s easy to follow the latest news about lifting restrictions around the world using our interactive map.

If you are interested in a specific country, subscribe to notifications specifically for it. As soon as the borders open, we will send you an email with good news and great deals on air tickets.

Where to get it

The document is stored in the clinic at the place of residence. It contains important information and will not be given to you. What to do if you are required to provide information about vaccinations:

1. Contact a kindergarten or school health worker and ask them to make an extract from your medical record about all preventive vaccinations.
2. Go to the clinic at your place of residence, where the professional vaccination card is stored in form 063/u, the local pediatrician or therapist, based on the information on the vaccination certificate, will issue you a certificate where you will enter all the data on the vaccinations and revaccinations performed.

in PDF format

in Word format