As I suggested yesterday, the Feds are now unwilling to put their heads above the parapet until they have some ammunition.
Today's announcement:
Australia’s vaccine passport technology will be tested in major cities around the world this week to ensure it is compatible with our prospective travel bubble partners, as home quarantine trials in Adelaide prepare to take on international arrivals.
Foreign recognition of AU-administered vaccines, via the federal govt’s international digital certificate, is one of the troubling items on my personal Risk Register for the Xmas trip to UK I am planning. Dual citizenship adds another twist to this.
It is clear that work is happening quickly (but started late) to avoid an unfortunate scenario where the outbound travel ban is lifted but we are directed into home quarantine at the UK end despite being fully jabbed. Until this is resolved, as noted in earlier posts all AU-jabbed arrivals will be deemed unvaccinated apart from those who fly via transit ports classed (like AU) as Green in the UK Traffic Light System. And it’s not just an AZ problem.
Maybe the UK’s narrow definition of recognised vaccination will change and maybe more transit ports will move from Amber to Green in the UK Traffic Light System which is reviewed every 3 weeks. Another of the moving parts is the AZ brand name change to Vaxzevria which is designed in part to address the validation problem arising from slightly different vaccine names in national documentation:
Recognition of locally-manufactured COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca.
We are told by the PM that ‘from October’ the Commonwealth will roll out the international vax digital certificate, on smartphones and in hard copy, linked to one’s passport chip and number, using the ICAO Visual Digital Seal technology with cryptographic protection. The app will also be a repository for Covid test results. Excellent…a complex IT project being managed by the Commonwealth, designed for international interoperability, using sensitive personal health and passport data, benefitting from new security and integrity features – and all being done in a hurry. Not at all worried.
There is also the IATA Travel Pass which seems to offer similar functionality and is being used already (in trial) by multiple carriers including QF, EK, EY, QR, SQ. Presumably this doesn’t have any solution (yet) to UK recognition of AU-administered vaccination.
Lastly, what are dual citizens to do on arrival in the UK (or other countries where we hold non-AU citizenship)?
louie-m has suggested presenting an AU ppt in order to ensure vax status is accepted:
I know I am repeating myself, but I am in the same situation in reverse, with the UK not recognising my Australian administered AZ shots. I don't want to get unnecessary jabs, but equally I am not so keen to have to home quarantine and to pay for two extra covids tests every time I cross the UK border (if coming from an amber country). That said, there are rumours of changes to the traffic light system in the UK at the end of the month and also that Aussie vaccinations might be recognised for Aussies, which puts me in the odd position of probably using my Aussie passport to get into the UK to avoid home quarantine.
That is a thought-provoking idea but UK Border Force doesn’t like it if a UK citizen tries to enter on a foreign ppt. As the planned Commonwealth app will be linked to the AU ppt, I wonder if we should show both passports – entry on UK document but also showing AU ppt to support vax status shown in the linked new app ('from October')? Or there is an old school option of presenting Border Force with just UK ppt and hard copy of the AU vax digital certificate. Someone with more professional knowledge may be able to clarify in due course. I see there are several of us on this forum with a keen interest in how it should work.