Isle of Man residents who have requested proof of vaccination letters from Manx Care are being reminded that they must check whether the letter will be accepted by their travel provider and country of entry.
The proof of vaccination letters were introduced as a temporary solution whilst the UK NHS continues its work to make the NHS COVID Pass available to Isle of Man residents via the NHS app. When this work is complete, Islanders will be able to use the app to show their vaccination status for international travel, in the same way as UK residents.
Minister for Health and Social Care, David Ashford MHK, said:
'I understand how frustrating this situation will be for residents who need to travel abroad. We are working closely with the UK NHS so that everyone on the Island can use the NHS app to prove their vaccination status. But this is taking time, and whilst progress is being made, we are not there yet.
'There is no agreed international system for proof of vaccination status and the rules around how this will work are still emerging and vary from country to country. That’s why it is important that travellers check in advance whether the letter from Manx Care will be sufficient and why they must fully understand the entry requirements of the country they will be visiting.
'We are aware that, at present, the vaccination letters are not being accepted in Malta, and people may find that this is the case elsewhere.'
A covering letter from the Department of Health and Social Care is included with the letter from Manx Care, reminding residents that they need to check whether the letter will be accepted by their travel provider and country of entry.
There is no requirement for Isle of Man residents travelling to the UK to prove their vaccination status, so a letter is not required. Fully vaccinated Isle of Man residents returning to the Island can prove their vaccination status using a screenshot from the Patient Access app or a photo of the vaccination card they were issued with when they had their first jab.
The Isle of Man Government cannot be responsible for any disruption where a travel provider will not accept the letter.
Anyone who urgently requires a letter for international travel can currently contact Manx Care on 650800 Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm. Anyone seeking information in relation to the UK NHS app or borders and travel arrangements should visit the gov.im website.
