Covid Pandemic: Japan To Issue Vaccine Passports From July, Know What It Means For Travellers

The certificate will be paper-based rather than digital and will be issued by local governments from sometime next month.

Tokyo: The ongoing pandemic has changed the way we live and travel. Now, Japan will join the list of countries to issue vaccine passports allowing people to travel abroad from next month. On Thursday, Japan confirmed that Japanese travellers will get a vaccine passport from next month as the governments around the world are trying to find ways to relaunch tourism and business trips.

"Preparing to issue a certificate of vaccination for those who need one... when they visit foreign countries. The certificate will be paper-based," AFP News Agency reported quoting top government spokesman Katsunobu Kato.

Ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, PM Yoshihide Suga has announced that the virus emergency in the capital city will end on June 20.

What is a vaccine passport?

A vaccine passport is an e-certificate that stores and records jabs and Covid-19 test status. It can be kept in a smartphone app or in other digital formats. Its contents can be flashed at security checkpoints when people travel across borders.

How is Japan expected to roll out vaccine passports?

The certificate will be paper-based rather than digital and will be issued by local governments sometime next month. Corporates have been considering a vaccine document that would help revive business travel even as Japan's vaccination drive was slow comparatively but picked up pace in recent weeks.

At present over six percent of Japan's population is fully vaccinated, as per AFP. Japan has closed its border to foreign arrivals, though the rules will be relaxed for the Olympic Games, which open in Tokyo on July 23.

Which countries have allowed vaccine passport?

The European Union is already aiming for a digital vaccine passport this summer in order to kickstart tourism industry, and some EU countries plan to introduce certificates at the national level.

Several countries have already embraced the concept of a vaccine passport for their citizens, including China and Denmark. Similarly, others have welcomed vaccinated travelers from across the globe including Iceland and Greece.