Turkey has introduced a COVID-19 vaccine ID card for its citizens. It is available through an online app that keeps track of COVID-19 contacts.
The Turkish newspaper Hürriyet Daily News added that European Union countries are expected to start using vaccine passports for travelers. Turkey’s vaccine ID cards will be used for international travels, and the COVID-19 information will be linked to the card.
People who have gotten their first and second doses of the coronavirus vaccine in Turkey will be able to create an ID card through the health ministry, according to the report. Applicants will be able to add their passport numbers to the vaccine ID cards. The person’s identity, along with their vaccine status and when it was administered, will be included in the vaccine ID card. Officials will add the “safe tourism” logo that the culture and tourism ministry put into practice last summer.
The vaccine ID card will also include a QR code so that officials can access vaccine status information, with a readout in both English and Turkish.
Hurriyet said Turkey and Hungary have agreed to recognize each other’s vaccine certificates. This means travelers can go between the two countries without needing a negative COVID-19 test. In addition, Turkey and Serbia are planning to lift travel restrictions by recognizing each other’s COVID-19 vaccine certificates.
Nearly 14.7 million people in Turkey have received the first dose of the vaccine, and over 10.6 million people have been administered both doses.
In the U.S., there is widespread interest in emerging from pandemic restrictions and returning to travel. According to a PYMNTS study, over 40 percent of U.S. residents say they would like to do more international travel. However, only about 75 countries will accept American travelers amid the continuing pandemic, and many of those countries have heavy restrictions, often requiring a two-week quarantine upon arrival.
