Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed that the government is redeveloping an NHS app to be used as a COVID passport for international travel.
The minister revealed to Sky News on Wednesday morning that the app would be able to “show if you’ve had a vaccine or had testing”.
Shapps also added that he was working with “partners across the world” to get the system “internationally recognised”.
The app in question is the same one used to book NHS appointments, not to be mistaken with the NHS COVID app that is used for checking into venues.
All passengers travelling from the UK are required to take COVID tests under the governments new traffic light system which categorises countries based on risk factors such as vaccine/case rates.
This new traffic light system has been brought in for the reintroduction of international travel and will see countries marked as ‘Green’, ‘Amber’, or ‘Red’.
‘Green’ arrivals must take tests before departure and return, whereas ‘Amber’ arrivals will need to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival back in Britain.
‘Red’ arrivals will need to stay in a manged quarantine hotel for 10 days
International travel may resume from May 17 at the earliest.
The countries being added to the ‘Green’ list are set to be revealed in the “next two weeks” according to Shapps.
Shapps told Sky: “We do need to make sure we do this very, very carefully.
“But, in the next couple of weeks, I’ll be able to tell you about which countries will have made it into the traffic light system and that ‘green’ list in particular are the countries where you’ll be able to go to without needing to quarantine on your return.”
