Covid-19: the authorities will not issue an international certificate to people vaccinated abroad

Hundreds of people who travel abroad to work now rely on foreign governments to grant them vaccination certificates in order to keep their jobs.

The Department of Health will not issue an international vaccine certificate to people who have received one or both vaccines abroad.

Michael Dreyer, head of the ministry’s national digital services group, said “Vaccination certificates for international travel from New Zealand only show vaccines administered in New Zealand.”

“People who have received one or more doses of a Covid-19 vaccine overseas currently cannot apply for an international travel vaccination certificate to New Zealand. “

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Dreyer said the ministry is working to allow people vaccinated abroad to obtain a certificate for international travel.

More than ten people contacted Thing about the situation, some who had booked flights this month to work overseas.

They were told by Air New Zealand that they could not board their flights unless they provided their New Zealand vaccination certificate.

In a statement, an Air New Zealand spokesperson said: “Air New Zealand must ensure that passengers meet the vaccination requirements issued by various government authorities for the destinations to which we fly.

“For most places, like the United States, non-citizens are required to show full proof of vaccination from an official government source. Unfortunately, if passengers cannot provide full proof of vaccination from an official government source, they will not be able to travel. “

Dreyer said if people were to travel, they would have to apply for a certificate from the country that administered their vaccinations.

This process is more complicated in some countries than in others.

If the tables were reversed and someone from the United States, for example, had to apply for a New Zealand-issued vaccination certificate, they would not have the required ID to easily obtain one.

The process is even more complicated as some people only had one vaccine overseas and the second dose in New Zealand.

Stuff has previously reported that people are being given the third and fourth doses of a vaccine in order to meet vaccine pass requirements. Now people who travel for work are considering doing the same for fear of losing their jobs.

A woman, who travels to the United States regularly, said this was the only way she could make sure they keep their jobs and meet border entry requirements in other countries.

She said she had been in contact with the ministry since early October to try to get a vaccination certificate for international travel, but was only told last week that she couldn’t get one.

Another person, who works in several Asian countries, shared his email correspondence with the health ministry, which began in September.

His vaccinations abroad were not officially recognized until Thursday, and although he was granted an exemption for the My Vaccine Pass, he was told he could not get the travel certificate.

“I don’t have the option to work remotely,” he said. “I have to travel. Much of my work is overseas, so if I can’t leave I won’t have a job.

He said it was ironic that the government essentially locked him out earlier in the pandemic and forced him to apply for MIQ places, only to lock him up now.

Dreyer said the Department of Health hopes to have “more information soon” on the vaccine certificate process.