Don’t let COVID-19 stop you making memories this year. Get your vaccinations up to date now and keep your travel options open.
Many places require proof that you’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 before you enter the country and entry rules can change at short notice. Being fully vaccinated will give you the best chance of being able to visit the people and places you want to see.
Make sure you allow enough time to get digital or paper proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status before you are due to travel.
Get the latest advice on travelling abroad from England, which includes a handy checklist of what you need to do to travel abroad. For up-to-date information on coronavirus entry requirements and travel warnings by country, go to .gov foreign travel advice.
Get your jab:
- Book online at NHS.UK
- Find a convenient walk-in clinic – no appointment needed for this option and you don’t need to be registered with a GP.
- Ring 119
Digital NHS COVID Pass
An NHS COVID Pass proves you have been vaccinated. It shows information about your vaccination status, test results and recovery from the coronavirus. It may take up to five days for vaccines to show in your NHS COVID Pass. You can show your NHS COVID Pass on a smartphone or tablet. The NHS COVID Pass can be scanned to check and validate your COVID-19 status in venues in over 60 countries and territories, including those in the EU.
You can also download it as a PDF, print it, have it sent as a link in an email or save it to your mobile device.
You can get a digital NHS COVID Pass:
- online(age 12 years+)
- using the NHS App (age 13 years+)
- by visiting the NHS website
You need to set up your NHS login at least two weeks before you want to use your digital NHS COVID Pass.
Find out how to register for online NHS services here. Information about the NHS COVID Pass for children is available here.
A digital NHS COVID Pass is valid for 180 days (six months).
The expiry date on an NHS COVID Pass does not apply to your vaccination status, it applies to the barcodes on the NHS COVID Pass.
Learn more about how to use the NHS COVID Pass when travelling abroad
Proof of vaccination status – paper letter
Anyone living in the UK who cannot access online services, and has had both doses of a vaccine, can request a paper letter from the NHS by calling 119.
Letters are available for people travelling within four weeks of making a request. Letters will not be processed if you are travelling more than four weeks after you have asked for a copy.
Make sure you allow enough time to get digital or paper proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status before you are due to travel. Letters can take up to seven postal days to arrive.
GPs cannot provide vaccination letters
Please do not contact the practice about your COVID-19 vaccination status unless you have been advised to by the 119 service due to an issue with your vaccination record which they can help to correct.
Recently had COVID-19 and unable to get vaccinated?
If you’ve had COVID-19 within the last few weeks, you’ll need to wait before you have your next vaccination. You need to wait:
- four weeks (28 days) if you’re aged 18 years old or over
- 12 weeks (84 days) if you or your child are aged 5 to 17 years old
- four weeks (28 days) if you or your child are aged 5 to 17 years old and at high risk from COVID-19, or live with someone who has a weakened immune system
This starts from the date that symptoms started, or the date of the positive test result, whichever was earlier.
If you have registered a positive PCR test with NHS Test and Trace, this will show on your NHS App for the next 180 days. You can use the NHS App to prove that you are recovering from COVID when you travel. This is sometimes called a ‘proof of recovery certificate’.