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COVID-19 vaccine passport for Canada: Travellers will have to carry certification for international trips

COVID-19 vaccine passport for Canada: Travellers will have to carry certification for international trips

The Canadian government is moving forward towards a pan-Canadian COVID-19 vaccine passport, expected to be put in place early this fall, for international travel.

"Thanks to the incredible progress that Canadians have made, our country is reopening—gradually, cautiously and guided by public health," a statement from Marco Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship reads.

"This means that many Canadians are contemplating doing something they haven’t done in over a year and a half: travelling. Our work with the provinces and territories to provide a consistent proof of vaccination is a key step forward in ensuring Canadians will have the documents they need once it is safe to travel again."

The federal government revealed it is working with provinces and territories to develop a proof of vaccination system, which will include the types of vaccine each individual received, dates and location, and it will available to all Canadian citizens, permanent residents and temporary residents living in Canada who are fully vaccinated.

Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, confirmed it will be a digital certification but there will be a non-digital option for Canadians who need an alternative proof of vaccination.

"For Canadians who decide to travel, using a proof of vaccination will provide foreign border officials with the vaccination history needed to assess whether a traveller meets their public health requirements and provide a trusted and verifiable credential for when they return home," information from the Canadian government reads.

In terms of domestic uses, LeBlanc said that if a province wants to use this national certification on a more local level, that could be possible.