Covid in Scotland: Vaccine certificates for those travelling abroad

People in Scotland travelling to a foreign country will now be able to access a vaccine certificate, the Scottish government has confirmed.

Only those travelling to destinations which require a record of vaccination status should download their certificate from an NHS portal.

It can also be requested in the post via a Freephone Covid Status Helpline.

There are currently no countries requiring vaccination status to travel but restrictions can change quickly.

Public health officials previously said this digital scheme would mean Scotland was "ready to join" an international vaccination passport programme.

The Scottish government said the service was intended to allow people access to the certificate without asking their GP, thereby "easing the burden" on the NHS.

People have been advised to request the document if they are due to travel in the next 21 days.

As more people are vaccinated, the system will be replaced by digital Covid status certificates - which will include vaccination and testing data to be used for outbound international travel.

The system differs from that being used in England where an NHS app - separate from its contact tracing app - can show vaccine status if enabled by a GP.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said people should continue to limit their travel abroad, "play it safe" and instead go on a staycation this summer.

He said: "Given the risk of returning with infection, and especially of introducing new variants of the virus, we continue to be highly cautious about international travel.

"For those that do need it, this new service will provide people with a record of their vaccination status for outbound international travel.

"They should only access their record if they are planning to travel within 21 days and it is a requirement of their destination."

A traffic lights system for foreign travel came into effect in Scotland on Monday - meaning people travelling to "green list" countries do not need to quarantine on their return.

Covid status certificates have been trialled in England since mid April.

The UK government previously said such a scheme could have an important role to play both domestically and internationally and is "likely to become a feature of our lives until the pandemic recedes".