Services Australia has revealed that technology to allow Australians to travel overseas with proof of vaccination will be ready within weeks.
The so-called visible digital seal (VDS) project will allow Australians to verify their vaccination status with Home Affairs, who will create a “highly authenticated” digital record for travel and for use by third parties, such as airlines and other countries.
Services Australia said at the request of an individual, the department would send a person’s vaccination status to the passport office.
“What they will then do is take that data, make sure it’s all correct, and then they will put what they call a visible digital seal onto a certificate that they will then send back to us,” the department’s Charles McHardie said.
“And that certificate will then appear straightaway in your Medicare Express Plus app, and then you can download it to your phone.”
“That can be used at, you know departure gates, etcetera, wherever it may be utilized as as the borders start to open up.”
The VDS technology is internationally recognised and was developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Chief executive Rebecca Skinner said she expected the technology to be ready within three weeks.
“We are confident that the technology will all be in place within the next sort of two to three weeks, well before the end of October,” Skinner said.
“Our plan is to have all of the technology in place so that it is settled and tested situation before the policy decisions need to be made.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where policy decisions can’t be taken because the technology isn’t ready.”
