IATA Travel Pass Now Accepts EU, UK Covid-19 Certificates

Photo source: IATA

The International Air Transport Association announced this week that users of its digital Travel Pass could now upload EU and UK Covid-19 vaccination data to the IATA mobile app.

More specifically, the Geneva-based trade body said that the EU Digital Covid Certificate (DCC) and the UK NHS Covid Pass can now be uploaded to the IATA Travel Pass as verified proof of vaccination to be used for travel.

With the expanded IATA pass, travelers with EU or UK vaccination certificates can access accurate Covid-19 travel information for their trip, create an electronic version of their passport, and import their vaccination certificate in one place.

Information on the app is meant to be shared with airlines and border control authorities as valid proof of vaccination becomes a requirement for international travel.

“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,” said Nick Careen, senior vice president for Operations Safety and Security, IATA.

Meanwhile, IATA reiterates in its announcement that harmonization of digital vaccine standards is necessary to “support the safe and scalable restart of aviation, avoid unnecessary airport queues, and ensure a smooth passenger experience”.

While welcoming EU Commission actions to quickly develop the EU DCC system ahead of the summer 2021 tourist season, IATA urges the World Health Organization (WHO) to revisit its work to advance a global digital vaccine standard.

“The absence of a global standard makes it much harder for airlines, border authorities and governments to recognize and verify a traveler’s digital vaccination certificate. The industry is working around this by developing solutions that can recognize and verify certificates from individual countries. But this is a slow process that is hampering the restart of international travel,” the association said.