A process is being established to record COVID vaccinations administered overseas in the New Zealand Covid Immunisation Register.
All 23 vaccines that are approved as per the New Zealand entry requirements can be recorded now.
You must apply for this information to be included in your records, this will take up to 14 days and people will need to provide proof of the vaccines and dates administered so they can be entered into the COVID-19 Immunisation Register.
While all 23 vaccines can be recorded, these do not mean that you will be eligible for the My Vaccine Pass.
At this stage, from the week of 26 November, there are 8 approved vaccines that can be used as proof of vaccine status when applying for My Vaccine Pass.
They are:
1. Pfizer/BioNTech
2. Janssen (Johnson and Johnson)
3. AstraZeneca (Oxford)
4. AstraZeneca/Covishield (Serum Institute of India)
5. Moderna
6. Sinopharm
7. Sinovac (CoronaVac)
8. Covaxin (Bharat Biotech)
International vaccine certificates can also be requested now.
If you are using the call centre, it’s recommended you request a certificate a week or so before the date you intend to travel overseas.
The certificates have an expiry date of one year. You should sign up for My Covid Record now to ensure you can create certificates and are ready to go.
Some Q&A's
How can I know that the international certificate will be accepted by my country of destination?
You should check the requirements of the country you’re travelling to and find out what proof of vaccination, if any, is needed. You will need to follow all the usual immigration processes and additional steps, such as pre-departure COVID-19 testing.
Consult the official website or the nearest embassy/consulate of your country or territory of destination to find out about any border controls that may apply to you before travelling.
How is this different from My Vaccine Pass?
You will receive a separate QR code for your international vaccine certificate. These certificates will be recognised by international jurisdictions and are for travel purposes only.
How is this different form the Ministry of Health “Proof of Vaccine” letter I requested and received?}
If you’ve already received a vaccination confirmation letter from the Ministry of Health you can still use this for international travel, but to ensure the country you are travelling to recognises your proof of vaccination status we recommend you request an International Travel Vaccination Certificate, and the easiest way to request this is through My Covid Record.
Which countries will accept New Zealand’s international travel vaccine certificate?
International vaccine certificates from New Zealand are recognised as part of the EU Digital Covid Certificate, as announced 15 November. This now means NZ certificates may be used as proof of vaccine when entering 49 countries, with more countries expected to come.
https://ec.europa.eu/info/live-work-travel-eu/coronavirus-response/safe-covid-19-vaccines-europeans/eu-digital-covid-certificate_en
EU DCC formatted certificates, including NZs, are being widely recognised by countries outside of the EU DCC system, including Australia and USA.
Can I download the international certificate on my phone or is it print only?
Yes, you can receive a digital version via email that you can save on your phone. Please note that the international certificate cannot yet be added to Apple Wallet or Google Pay – you must either have the downloaded copy of the PDF on your phone or have printed a copy.
