A comprehensive guide to vaccine passports

In a post-pandemic era, travelers should be ready to utilize vaccine passports to verify their vaccination status, facilitating easier access to certain countries and states, as well as potential exemptions from rigorous testing and quarantine measures.

In the United States, the primary means of verifying vaccine status is through a card issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It's crucial to understand that the term "vaccine passport" is quite expansive, and each app or platform may not provide identical features. Some currently focus solely on COVID-19 testing verification, while others also confirm vaccination details. Indeed, several services on this list, like IATA's Travel Pass, avoid using the term "passport" entirely. Moreover, vaccine passports frequently serve as a repository for both vaccination records and COVID-19 test results.

Additionally, many of these platforms are still being developed, and their use is often optional.

To keep track of your vaccination or testing status, consider creating a COVID-19 folder on your home screen or downloading an app like Clear for your personal convenience.

Here's everything you need to know about the vaccine passports that are currently available or in the works.

Clear Health Pass

Clear's Health Pass feature is currently utilized to validate negative tests needed for entry at certain sports venues and to allow tourists to travel to Hawaii without quarantine requirements.

Clear has teamed up with the state of Hawaii to enable travelers to connect their negative COVID-19 tests within the app to the Hawaii Safe Travels portal. While Safe Travels only recognizes tests from designated facilities, Clear claims users can select from "many more" options. A map is available on the website showing testing sites nationwide.

Once you've set up an account, you can link your details by requesting a quarantine exemption through the "Clear exemption" button on the Safe Travels website.

Moreover, passengers on Delta and United flights traveling nonstop from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Honolulu (HNL) can seamlessly connect their test results and confirm their identity, allowing Hawaii to easily recognize travelers who are cleared to bypass the state's mandatory 10-day quarantine.

If you're already enrolled in Clear's expedited security program, you can access the Health Pass feature by logging into your premium account.

Clear Health Pass is also accessible at venues like Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies, and Globe Life Field, where the Texas Rangers play. Individuals vaccinated at Walmart, a partner of Clear, will be able to link their vaccination records through the app.

CommonPass

CommonPass is an independent application that gathers a user's COVID-19 information and verifies their identity. It generates a unique QR code that airlines and countries can use to confirm that a traveler is virus-free. The creators assert that CommonPass enables travelers to access their lab results and vaccination information.

The app is developed by The Commons Project, The World Economic Forum, and other organizations to help passengers "document their COVID-19 status to meet entry requirements while safeguarding their health data privacy."

At present, travelers on select United Airlines and Lufthansa flights from Frankfurt to the U.S., Hawaiian Airlines and United flights to Hawaii, as well as JetBlue flights to Aruba, can utilize the CommonPass app.

CommonPass is compatible with both iOS and Android, but it is currently accessible only via destination-specific invitation codes.

IATA Travel Pass

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will manage verified test and vaccination data through its Travel Pass app. IATA claims that this travel pass will be "more secure and efficient" compared to the traditional paper forms commonly used.

According to IATA, travelers will be able to create a digital passport that verifies their test results or vaccination status meets requirements. The Travel Pass can share test or vaccination certificates with authorities to streamline travel processes.

IATA is collaborating with more than 40 airlines, including ANA, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Virgin Atlantic.

Singapore initiated a full pilot program in March for its Singapore (SIN) to London route, while Qatar began its trial in mid-March. In late April, Ethiopian Airlines became the first African carrier to test IATA's Travel Pass, and Pegasus was Turkey's first airline to pilot the pass. In May, it was announced that Azerbaijan Airlines, ANA, and Royal Brunei Airlines would also trial the travel pass.

The IATA Travel Pass app is available for download on the Apple Store; however, IATA states that travelers can only use it if their airline is participating in a trial.

IBM Digital Health Pass

This app utilizes blockchain technology to enable individuals to share their health status via an encrypted digital wallet. The pass has integrated with Salesforce to assist businesses and educational institutions in verifying test results and vaccination status.

New York has teamed up with IBM to develop the Excelsior Pass. If you're a resident of New York, you can utilize the Excelsior Pass if you have been fully vaccinated in the state for at least 14 days since your final dose; if you have received a negative PCR test in New York within the last three days; or if you have a negative antigen test conducted in New York within the past six hours.

The app is now accessible for both iOS and Android users. Businesses interested in leveraging this technology can download the companion scanner app, which is also available for iOS and Android, to start participating.

VeriFLY

American Airlines, British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Japan Airlines have launched a free mobile health passport named VeriFLY, which can be used for flights into the U.S. from international locations and to various global destinations.

The app verifies negative test results and necessary travel documentation to simplify the travel process, and its use is optional. An executive from British Airways mentioned during a recent media call that the app employs the same secure mobile wallet technology as a digital bank account.

"When customers opt to use VeriFLY, any tests or health insurance documents they upload remain entirely confidential within the VeriFLY system, and American Airlines does not receive any of that information," said Preston Peterson, American Airlines' director of customer experience innovation, in an interview with TPG earlier this year.

Passengers on Japan Airlines can utilize VeriFLY for flights from Tokyo (Haneda and Narita) and Osaka (KIX) to various U.S. destinations including BOS, DFW, JFK, LAX, ORD, SAN, SEA, and SFO.

V-Health

The U.K.-based V-Health app features a built-in contact tracing tool and allows users to schedule appointments at nearby testing centers, which can then be included in the passport. The app is available for both Apple and Android devices.

While many vaccine passports rely on QR codes to verify test results, the V-Health Passport will not use them. Instead, it will implement its own technology, as QR codes can be faked, particularly at large events where staff may not be trained to recognize them.

"If ten individuals present the same health pass [QR code], it would be up to the security guard to verify them, which does not facilitate the smooth entry of large crowds," stated Louis-James Davis, CEO of VST Enterprises, in an interview with TPG earlier this year.

The technology behind the V-Health Passport is already being integrated into a platform called HELIIX Health Pass, which has been launched in Las Vegas to assist in the city's reopening. It is also offered as a standalone app available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The app claims to feature over 300 "V-Health passport providers" and has issued more than 7 million "v codes."

Bottom line

We are still a long way from a universal health pass or vaccine passport—some countries and U.S. states are not supportive of the concept. Currently, some apps only enable travelers to upload and confirm negative COVID-19 test results. Additionally, some of these tools will not be standalone applications but will be incorporated into new or existing systems.

Regardless, you will likely come across a vaccine passport when traveling in the near future.