Guidance

NHS COVID Pass

The NHS COVID Pass service has now closed.

From:
UK Health Security Agency
Published
7 May 2021
Last updated
4 December 2023 — See all updates

This guidance was withdrawn on

This content is now available at COVID-19: guidance and support.

Applies to England

This page applies to England. See information about COVID certificates in Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man.

There are no longer any domestic requirements to demonstrate your vaccination status.

The NHS COVID Pass is no longer required to travel abroad to any countries.

If you are travelling abroad, you should review travel entry requirements for the countries you will visit or travel through.

The NHS COVID Pass was developed at the height of the pandemic to let you share your COVID-19 vaccination status in a secure way. It was mainly used for international travel, as well as for some domestic purposes, such as entry to venues or events.

 

Updates to this page

Published 7 May 2021
Last updated 4 December 2023 + show all updates

  1. Updated guidance as the service has now closed.

  2. Updated information on the XBB vaccine under COVID-19 booster vaccinations.

  3. Updated information on previous medical exemptions – users can no longer view a record of these within the NHS COVID Pass.

  4. Updated guidance.

  5. Updated guidance.

  6. From 21 July 2022, children aged 5 to 11 in England and the Isle of Man can get a digital NHS COVID Pass for international travel.

  7. Updated to reflect that children aged 5 to 11 in England and Wales can also get a NHS COVID Pass letter for travel if they have evidence of a positive COVID-19 NHS PCR test within the last 180 days.

  8. Updated to reflect that the domestic NHS COVID Pass is no longer available and the medical exemptions service is no longer accepting new applications.

  9. Updated to tell users that from 12 May 2022 the domestic NHS COVID Pass will no longer be available and new medical exemption applications will not be accepted from this point.

  10. NHS COVID Pass letters for international travel are now available for children aged 5 to 11 living in England, Wales and Isle of Man.

  11. Updated to reflect that the domestic NHS COVID Pass letter is no longer available. Updated to no longer encourage high-risk events and venues to check COVID status as a condition of entry. Merged with guidance on medical exemptions and guidance for organisations wanting to use the NHS COVID Pass.

  12. Removed information about the passenger locator form, as people entering the UK no longer need to complete it.

  13. Children aged 5 and above can now have details of eligible COVID-19 vaccinations they have received overseas added to their NHS Record.

  14. Updated to provide information on how to contact the Vaccination Data Resolution Service.

  15. Updated to reflect new government guidance on self isolation policy if you test positive for COVID-19.

  16. From 18 February, residents in England who have received one or more of the following vaccines can have them added to their NHS Record to generate an NHS COVID Pass: Sinopharm Beijing/BIBP, SinoVac-CoronaVac, Covishield (Institute of India) or Covaxin (Bharat Biotech).

  17. Added details about the information that will be needed to prove the identity of children aged 12 and over to get a digital NHS COVID Pass for international travel (available from 3 February 2022).

  18. Updated to reflect it is no longer a legal requirement for venues or events to check the COVID-19 status of attendees as a condition of entry.

  19. From 3 February, children aged 12 and over will be able to get a digital NHS COVID Pass for international travel.

  20. Updated video about the NHS COVID Pass letter for travel abroad in British Sign Language (BSL).

  21. Updated 'What to do if you get a positive test result' section to reflect change in self-isolation rules - people who test positive can stop self-isolating on day 6 if they have negative rapid lateral flow test results on days 5 and 6. Added a reference to the change in rules on 27 January, when it will no longer be mandatory for venues to check the COVID-19 status of attendees as a condition of entry.

  22. Added video about the NHS COVID Pass letter for domestic use in British Sign Language (BSL).

  23. Updated the section 'What to do if you receive a positive test result' to reflect that from 11 January, asymptomatic people in England with a positive lateral flow test are no longer advised to take a confirmatory PCR test to confirm they have COVID-19.

  24. Updated the section 'What the NHS COVID Pass letter tells you: translated versions and alternative formats' to reflect that there are 2 NHS COVID Pass letters (one for travel, one for domestic use). Updated the section 'How to use the NHS COVID Pass when travelling abroad' to add information about the passenger locator form.

  25. Updated the section on how to use the NHS COVID Pass when travelling abroad to reflect that proof of prior infection cannot be used as evidence of your COVID-19 status when entering England.

  26. Guidance updated to reflect changes to the self-isolation advice for people who have received a positive COVID-19 test result.

  27. Added call-out to reflect the NHS COVID Pass digital service will be offline from 10pm on Tuesday 14 December due to planned maintenance.

  28. Updated to correct guidance in the 'Residents in England who have taken part in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials' section.

  29. Added guidance on new mandatory certification rules on visiting certain venues and events coming into force on Wednesday 15 December if approved by Parliament.

  30. Updated to reflect that fully vaccinated children aged 12 to 15 can request an NHS COVID Pass letter for international travel.

  31. Updated to reflect that fully vaccinated children aged 12 to 15 can request an NHS COVID Pass letter for international travel from 9am on 13 December.

  32. Updated to reflect that fully vaccinated children aged 12 to 15 can request an NHS COVID Pass letter for international travel.

  33. Updated to reflect that you can order an NHS COVID Pass letter to show proof of your booster vaccination for international travel.

  34. Added the section 'Residents in England who have received COVID-19 vaccinations overseas'.

  35. Updated information for residents in England who have taken part in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials.

  36. Added information about how to store your NHS COVID Pass in Google Pay Wallet.

  37. Updated to reflect the latest information on how to obtain your NHS COVID Pass in digital or letter format via the NHS.UK website.

  38. From 19 November, you can see details of your COVID-19 booster vaccination in your NHS COVID Pass.

  39. Added information about COVID-19 booster vaccinations: The NHS COVID Pass for travel does not currently include COVID-19 booster vaccinations. You do not need a COVID-19 booster vaccination to get an NHS COVID Pass for domestic use in England. Also updated to reflect the UK linking with the EU Gateway. Your NHS COVID Pass can be scanned to check and validate your COVID-19 vaccination status in venues in over 40 countries, including those in the EU.

  40. Updated content to reflect changes to international travel rules on 4 October 2021 (the red, amber, green traffic light system was replaced by a single red list of countries and simplified travel measures for arrivals from the rest of the world).

  41. Added information on using the NHS COVID Pass if you're unable to get vaccinated and/or tested for medical reasons.

  42. From 23 September, you will be able to store your NHS COVID Pass for international travel in Apple Wallet, even if your device is offline.

  43. Updated the 'Children' section: children under 18 do not have to demonstrate their COVID-19 status for entry to domestic events or venues in England. Children aged 16 or over can get an NHS COVID Pass for travel but should follow the entry requirements of the country they are travelling to.

  44. Added a link to information about COVID certificates in the Isle of Man.

  45. Updated to clarify that if you've been vaccinated in Scotland, to obtain your NHS COVID Pass you must be resident in England and registered with a GP in England.

  46. Updated to confirm that you can get NHS COVID Pass if you have been fully vaccinated in England, Wales or Scotland. Updated information for those participating in vaccination clinical trials. Added the phone number for contacting the NHS COVID Pass service from overseas.

  47. Added: 'If you're in the UK armed forces, visit 'My health care hub' on the Defence Gateway (login required) to find out how to get your NHS COVID Pass.'

  48. Updated the BSL guide (video) for people who have received an NHS COVID Pass letter.

  49. Updated to add a link to guidance for people fully vaccinated by the USA or EU.

  50. Updated to reflect that proof of natural immunity shown by a positive PCR test can be used to demonstrate COVID-19 status when travelling abroad; the NHS COVID Pass can be stored used the Apple Wallet when using an iPhone or iPad; and those who received the Novavax vaccine as part of a formally approved vaccine trial, can now obtain the NHS COVID Pass.

  51. Updated to remove information on the Events Research Programme trials, which ended on 25 July 2021.

  52. Updated to reflect that from Monday 19 July, you may be asked to demonstrate your COVID-19 status as a condition of entry to a venue or event in England. Added the conditions of obtaining an NHS COVID Pass for use at domestic events in England.

  53. Added links to guidance about COVID-19 vaccine certification in Guernsey, Jersey and Northern Ireland.

  54. Updated to reflect that the NHS COVID Pass letter has new branding, and that a full course of approved vaccinations now includes the single-dose Janssen vaccine.

  55. Updated to reflect that from 21 June 2021, the NHS service to demonstrate your COVID-19 vaccination status is now called the NHS COVID Pass. Also added that people taking part in event trials as part of the Events Research Programme will also be requested to use the NHS COVID Pass.

  56. Added video in British Sign Language about what to do if you cannot get a post-vaccination letter.

  57. Added information about what to do if you cannot get a post-vaccination status letter.

  58. You can now request a COVID-19 vaccination status letter to be posted to you via the NHS.UK website.

  59. Added link to easy-read version of the COVID-19 post-vaccination confirmation letter.

  60. Updated information on how to access your COVID-19 vaccination status on the NHS website and NHS app.

  61. Updated to add a link to a video about the post-vaccination confimation letter in BSL.

  62. This page has been updated to reflect the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccination status service and includes information on obtaining information in foreign languages and alternative formats.

  63. Updated to reflect that if you call 119 to request a letter about your vaccination status, we expect the letter to take up to 7 working days to reach you.

  64. Updated to reflect that you must wait at least 5 working days after you’ve completed your course of the vaccine before asking for a letter confirming your vaccination status to be posted to you. The letter can take up to 5 working days to reach you. It will be sent automatically to the address registered with your GP.

  65. Updated to reflect that if you're aged 13 to 15, you'll need to contact your GP surgery to request access to GP online services before you can use the NHS App.

  66. Updated to reflect that you should register with the NHS App before booking your international travel.

  67. First published.

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