Japan Government to issue vaccine passport for travel abroad

The Japanese government announced on June 17, 2021, that it will make vaccine passports available from next month for Japanese travellers. The decision has come as governments around the world experiment with ways to relaunch business trips and tourism.

Top government spokesperson, Katsunobu Kato informed that the government has been preparing to issue a certificate of vaccination for those who need one when they visit foreign countries.

In Japan, even though the borders are closed to almost all the foreign arrivals, the rules will be relaxed for the Olympic Games, which will open in Tokyo on July 23 and will go on till August 8, 2021.

Vaccine certificate in Japan:

The vaccine certificates, issued by the Japanese Government to the travellers planning to visit foreign countries, will be paper-based rather than digital. It will be issued by the local governments sometime in July 2021.

The company officials in Japan have been keen for a vaccine document that will help reestablish business travel.

The vaccine rollout in Japan started comparatively slowly but has picked up pace in recent weeks. Just over 6% of the country’s population is currently fully vaccinated.

European Union’s plan on digital passport:

In order to resume travelling, the European Union has been working on a digital vaccine passport for summer 2021 so that it can welcome back tourists who play a significant role in the EU’s economy.

Some of the countries of the European Union have also been planning to introduce certificates at the national level.

The EU version of the digital certificate will feature information such as whether the person had the virus, tested negative, and recovered or has been vaccinated.

US’s plan for Americans who want to travel:

In May 2021, the United States government also announced that it has been considering special documentation for the vaccinated Americans who want to travel abroad.

However, the idea is controversial in some places, with the conservative US states such as Florida and Texas rejecting the idea of vaccine travel documents as a violation of people’s basic rights.