IATA Travel Pass Accepts EU and UK Digital COVID Certificates
Passengers can upload vaccine documentation into the IATA tool to facilitate international travel
Travelers holding the EU Digital COVID Certificate and UK NHS COVID Pass can now upload the documentation into IATA Travel Pass as verified proof of vaccination, according to an announcement from the International Air Transport Association.
IATA Travel Pass allows travelers access accurate COVID-19 travel information for their journey, create an electronic version of their passport and import their vaccination certificate in one place. Passengers can then share this information with airlines and border control authorities, who can be assured that the certificate is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it.
In the absence of a worldwide standard for vaccine documentation, a number of so-called travel health passports have emerged that allow travelers to present information about their COVID-19 status in an app-based solution. The IATA Travel Pass was an early entrant in the field and is already in tests across a number of airlines.
“COVID-19 vaccination certificates are becoming a widespread requirement for international travel,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president for operations safety and security. “Handling the European and UK certificates through IATA Travel Pass is an important step forward, providing convenience for travelers, authenticity for governments and efficiency for airlines.”
Since the introduction of effective COVID-19 vaccines, the travel industry has been calling for standardized digital vaccine documentation to support the safe and scalable restart of aviation. “IATA welcomes the work done by the EU Commission in developing, in record time, the EU DCC system and thereby standardizing digital vaccine certificates across Europe,” the association said in a statement.
Citing the success of the EU initiative, IATA urged the World Health Organization to speed work on a global standard for digital vaccine documentation.
“As more states roll out their vaccination programs, many are urgently looking to implement technical solutions to provide vaccine certification for their citizens when they travel,” said Careen. “In the absence of a WHO standard, IATA urges them to look closely at the EU DCC as a proven solution that meets WHO guidance and can help to reconnect the world.”
