Prime minister Boris Johnson has said there will “definitely” be a role for Covid-19 “vaccine passports” for international travellers.
The government is reviewing ways that vaccine certification can be used domestically and abroad.
Its Global Travel Taskforce is due to report on April 12, but Johnson is expected to give “a bit” of information on travel’s restart on Easter Monday (April 5).
Speaking to ITV during a visit to Middlesbrough on Thursday (April 1), Johnson said: “There’s definitely going to be a world in which international travel will use vaccine passports.
“You can see already that other countries, the aviation industry, are interested in this and there’s a logic to that.”
He added: “I think when it comes to trying to make sure that we give maximum confidence to businesses and customers in the UK, there are three things – there’s immunity whether you have had it before so you have natural antibodies, whether you have been vaccinated, and of course whether you have had a test.”
The European Commission, which has been working towards a mid-June introduction of its Digital Green Ceriticates, tweeted today to say the certificates will “ensure people can travel safely within the EU this summer”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told The Telegraph that Covid passports for international travel were “inevitable”.
But he said Covid passports being used for everyday social activities once the pandemic has eased, such as visiting the pub, would be against the “British instinct”.
Iata, the international airlines organisation, has said its digital travel pass for Covid-19 test results and vaccine certificates will be launched on the Apple platform in mid-April.
More: UK has ‘lot of work’ to do to be ready for vaccination certificates
Iata travel pass set to be available for Apple users in mid-April