Residents and foreign travellers will soon be required to present their digital vaccine passports for international travel starting next month.
The move is geared towards facilitating a systematic means to show negative test results from COVID-19. And with it, the country aims to open up for international travel once again.
Japan Becomes Latest Country to Adopt Digital Vaccine Passports for Int’l Travel
In line with this, the digital passport will be available through a mobile app currently in development and will be linked to the government’s vaccination program, Nikkei Asia reported.
For now, vaccinated citizens receive a certificate in paper format.
With its introduction starting next month, the app will be aimed at both Japanese citizens as well as foreign travelers in Japan who want to return home.
Earlier this year, several countries have embraced the concept of a vaccine passport for their citizens, including China and Denmark. Similarly, others have welcomed vaccinated travelers from across the globe, like Iceland and Greece.
The United Kingdom has proposed countries develop an internationally-recognized vaccine passport to aid the eventual return to normalcy, a concept Japan is aiming for as well.
Meanwhile, the Japanese digital health pass will be in keeping with international standards, referencing those developed by the CommonPass as well as the European Union’s eventual passport.
That said, the government is not looking to use the vaccine passport for domestic travel at the moment.
While these digital passes could get international travel off the ground again, it won’t be in time for the summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo. Earlier this month, organizers have announced that overseas audiences will not be allowed to physically attend the games.
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