The countries already rolling out vaccine passports

The UK Government has given the biggest indication yet that vaccine certificates could be used to reboot international travel.

Despite previously suggesting that there were no plans for so-called vaccine passports, the Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said that providing certificates for those who have been fully vaccinated was something the Government was “working on.”

Speaking to BBC Breakfast yesterday morning, Mr Zahawi said: “If other countries will require a vaccine certificate then I think it’s right that we facilitate it.

“People already when they travel have to have, for certain countries, a yellow fever certificate.

Watch: Are vaccine passports key to reopening economies?

“I think it’s right that we do that. That’s what we’re working on. So if there is a requirement, any viewer can then ask for their vaccine certificate, in the way that we do pre-departure test certificates now.”

On Monday, Boris Johnson said he has no plans to introduce vaccine passports for activities such as going to the pub, but such certificates may be “inevitable” in order to allow international travel to resume.

"I think inevitably there will be great interest in ideas like can you show that you had a vaccination against COVID in the way that you sometimes have to show you have had a vaccination against yellow fever or other diseases in order to travel somewhere.

"I think that is going to be very much in the mix down the road, I think that is going to happen.”

For some countries, however, the development of vaccine passports is already underway.

The countries with vaccine passports in development

Bahrain – an early adopter

Bahrain has become one of the first countries in the world to launch a digital Covid vaccine passport. The country's BeAware app allows individuals to prove their immunity status two weeks after receiving both doses of the jab.

The green 'Covid-19 Vaccinated' shield is accompanied by an official certificate detailing the user's name, date of birth, nationality and which vaccine they received.

Authorities can verify its validity by scanning a QR code linking to the national vaccine register.

‘This is fundamental’ – Denmark working on the rollout

Morten Bødskov, Denmark’s acting finance minister, has raised the prospect of a ‘Covid passport’ being rolled out by the end of the month.

“Denmark is still hard hit by the corona pandemic,” he said. "But there are parts of Danish society that need to move forward, and a business community that needs to be able to travel."

The Scandinavian country could become the world’s first to formally embrace vaccine passport technology to open its borders.

"We have more than 800,000 jobs in Denmark that are linked to trading with the world so this is fundamental" he tells CNN. "This is fundamental because if we want to start to export again and trading again, see business people meet again, things like the corona passport are fundamental to making that happen," he said.

‘Certificates must be recognised around the world’ – Sweden

As with its neighbour, Sweden is planning a digital vaccine passports scheme by the summer. “For certificates to work internationally, they must be recognised by countries around the world,” said social minister Lena Hallengren.

‘Travel without limitations, no self-isolation, nothing’ – Greece and Israel’s groundbreaking arrangement

Last week, Greece and Israel signed a deal allowing vaccinated people to move freely between the two countries once travel resumes.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has expressed his support for a common vaccination passport to be rolled out across the EU, to help reboot tourism on the Continent. Brussels has been hesitant – with some flagging concerns about discrimination and privacy.

During a meeting in Jerusalem, Mitsotakis and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to create a travel corridor. Netanyahu noted it would permit travel “without any limitations, no self-isolation, nothing.”

“I expect what we will be doing with Israel to be a trial run of what we can do with other countries,” Mitsotakis said.

It is reported that Cyprus will soon be involved in the travel arrangement with Greece and Israel, commencing on April 1.

‘Vaccine certification is inevitable' – Spain and Portugal support idea

Spain’s foreign minister Arancha Gonzalez has joined calls for an EU-wide vaccine certification to ease travel across the continent. This comes after the country controversially announced it would be compiling a database of vaccine refusers, which it would share with the European Union.

“Vaccine certification is something we are going towards inevitably,” Gonzalez told RNE radio station. “It will be a very important element to guarantee a safe return to mobility.” She said that the document should be coordinated at a European or even global level, and predicted that the certificate could enable people to travel into different countries – as the PCR tests do now.

Neighbouring Portugal’s Interior Minister Eduardo Cabrita has said vaccine certificates would be easier to manage than existing Covid requirements. Certificates “should act as proof of security and do away with certain requirements at borders — in particular, the requirement for PCR tests,” he said.

Emirates – the airline trialling the technology

In partnership with the International Air Transport Association, Emirates is one of the first airlines worldwide to trail the IATA Travel Pass, which comes in the form of a mobile app. The pass will allow passengers to create a digital passport to verify their pre-travel Covid test or vaccination meets the requirements of their destination

The countries opening their doors to vaccinated travellers

Cyprus

In December, Cyprus announced a plan to waive testing requirements for arrivals who have been vaccinated, making it the first destination to specify that immunised travellers will not need to meet other Covid-related entry rules. However, the country's ministry of health is yet to confirm if this will go ahead, as planned, in March.

Estonia

Estonia said it will waive mandatory quarantine for travellers who can provide proof of vaccination or who can prove they have recovered from the virus in the previous six months.

Georgia

"Citizens of all countries, travelling by air from any country may enter Georgia if they present the document confirming the full course (two doses) of any Covid-19 vaccination at the border checkpoints of Georgia," said the Georgian Government.

Hungary

Hungary’s government said it could require visitors to prove their vaccination status to gain access to the country via an app showing immunity to Covid-19. "The need for citizens to provide proof that they have gained protection against the coronavirus is increasing all over the world," a government spokesperson said.

Romania

The country's National Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU) said that people coming from countries or areas of high risk, or who have come into direct contact with someone who’s tested positive for Covid, are exempt from quarantine measures if they are fully vaccinated.

Seychelles

The Seychelles has said it will open its doors to visitors from anywhere in the world who have received two doses of an authorised vaccine for Covid-19.

Watch: Should I book a holiday in 2021?