The lifting of travel restrictions in the Isle of Man and elsewhere means that residents may be required to demonstrate their COVID-19 status when travelling abroad.
The UK NHS App allows you to store and share your vaccination status in a secure way. It enables you to show others that you have received a full course of the COVID-19 vaccine where this is a requirement in some countries and territories.
Isle of Man Government plans to use the UK NHS App for the purpose of providing residents with their own COVID-19 vaccination certificate for travel, and intends to share information with NHS Digital on all COVID-19 vaccinations given in the Island.
NHS Digital is the commissioned provider for production of the COVID-19 vaccine certificate for individuals. The certificate is expected to be widely recognised and accepted for UK and international travel, and will be available either electronically via the NHS App or as a paper copy.
Please find further information in our Frequently Asked Questions:
- We have separate healthcare systems; why is the Isle of Man linking to the NHS App?
- How will my vaccination information be added to the NHS App?
- Can I be confident my health information will remain private?
- Can I opt out?
- I don’t have a mobile device / I am not confident in using a mobile device to carry personal information of this nature.
- How can I obtain a hard copy vaccination status certificate?
- Will I have to show my vaccination status at the Isle of Man border?
- How will the data be transferred?
- How can I be sure the data provided won’t be made available to third parties?
- Which countries will require to see my vaccination status?
- Can my GP provide me with proof of my vaccination status for overseas travel?
- How do I register for the NHS App?
- Why isn’t the Isle of Man Government creating its own version of the app?
- Where can I go for further help with my query?
We have separate healthcare systems; why is the Isle of Man linking to the NHS App?
As we come out of the pandemic, the scope for traveling abroad will increase and many people will want to go abroad on holiday or to visit family and friends.
Some countries and territories may require proof from travellers that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The Isle of Man Government has negotiated access to the UK NHS App so that Island residents can demonstrate their vaccination status to the authorities.
The Isle of Man already has a number of service agreements in place with the NHS and so we are building on an existing close working relationship. Linking to the NHS App means that Island residents will not be at any disadvantage, and their proof of status will be recognised in the same way as that of UK citizens.
Some Manx residents have received one or both vaccine doses in the UK, and some UK residents have received one or both doses in the IOM. The sharing of this data into the NHS App will provide visibility of both doses in one place.
How will my vaccination information be added to the NHS App?
Isle of Man Government intends to share data securely with NHS Digital about all COVID-19 vaccinations given in the Isle of Man. This is information we hold as part of the vaccination programme.
Can I be confident my health information will remain private?
Yes, we will only share information about the vaccinations residents have had, a legitimate reason for the transfer of data, for the specific purpose of enabling residents to demonstrate their vaccination status in a way which is likely to be recognised internationally.
The app also works as a portal for users to view their other health information held by GPs. You will be able to view this as well as your vaccination record when you have registered for the app. This data can only be viewed by you, the patient and your GP.
The Manx Care Vaccination Certificate Privacy Notice will provide more information about how your personal details will be used.
Can I opt out?
Yes, if you do not wish to obtain evidence of your vaccination status, you are free to opt out at any time. Information on the opt-out process and the form to do so are available at the COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate page.
Please note that if you opt out of the secure sharing of your data with NHS Digital you will be unable to obtain a vaccination certificate in either digital or paper format.
You may cancel your opt out at any time, whether before the secure data transfer or subsequently if you change your mind.
This form should also be used if you opted out but subsequently wish to cancel your opt out.
In this event we will ensure that a copy of your COVID-19 vaccination data is transferred to NHS Digital. Please note this may take up to 72 hours.
I don’t have a mobile device / I am not confident in using a mobile device to carry personal information of this nature.
Individuals who do not have a phone that is compatible with downloading the app will be able to request a letter that will provide evidence of their vaccination status.
The transfer of data enables people to get their vaccination status in digital or paper format.
How can I obtain a hard copy vaccination status certificate?
We are expecting that once your information has been securely shared with NHS Digital you can request a letter to be posted to you.
To request a letter, you need to have been fully vaccinated, aged 16 or over and plan to travel in the next four weeks to a country that requires evidence of COVID-19 vaccination.
Finalising this process with the NHS in the UK is still to be completed.
Will I have to show my vaccination status at the Isle of Man border?
The government has set out a revised approach to the Island’s borders, to take effect from Monday 28 June. Full details are available at the Travel FAQs page.
This allows restriction-free travel for both residents and non-residents from the UK and Ireland who have had both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in the British Isles at least two weeks ahead of their proposed arrival. For these people, there will be no requirement to be tested or to isolate on arrival.
You will still need to apply for an exemption from any testing and isolation requirements by providing evidence of your vaccination status to the Travel Notification Service (TNS) prior to your arrival in the Isle of Man.
Via Online Services you can upload evidence of your vaccination status. TNS will review your application and respond with a reference which will be required for your landing form, which should be completed within 48hrs prior to your arrival in the Isle of Man.
The following will be accepted as proof of vaccination by uploading a PDF or an image, such as a screenshot or photograph, as part of your online application:
- NHS England secure paper letter
- NHS Scotland secure paper letter
- NHS Wales secure paper letter
- Bailiwick of Guernsey secure paper letter
- States of Jersey secure paper letter
- NHS app PDF or screenshot
- Patient Access app screenshot
- The NHS card issued when you receive your vaccinations, from any jurisdiction in the Common Travel Area
Existing arrangements will remain in place for those who have not yet received both doses of vaccine, or whose vaccinations were given outside the Common Travel Area.
For these groups existing restrictions remain in place. For further information please see our Travel FAQs page.
How will the data be transferred?
We intend to transfer the data using the NHS Digital MESH system - Message Exchange for Social Care and Health. MESH is the main secure large file transfer service used across health and social care organisations and the processes will be tested with the UK prior to go-live. We already use it for managing GP registration data between the Isle of Man and the UK.
More information at NHS' website.
How can I be sure the data provided won’t be made available to third parties?
Manx Care will only share this data with NHS Digital for the sole purpose of inclusion in the NHS app. It will not be shared more widely. The privacy statement for the NHS App COVID-19 vaccine information states: ‘We do not share any of your personal data captured by the service in an identifiable form with any other party.’
Which countries will require to see my vaccination status?
You should check the current situation and the rules in force in the country you wish to travel to. The latest information and advice is regularly updated on the UK Government’s foreign travel advice pages.
Countries around the world are at different stages in their vaccination programmes. A small number currently accept proof of vaccination, and travellers need to follow other rules in their destination country, such as getting a negative pre-departure test.
Can my GP provide me with proof of my vaccination status for overseas travel?
No. The Isle of Man Government is supporting vaccination status certification through the UK NHS app or hard copy vaccination certificate as this is expected to be internationally recognised for Island residents.
Island GPs will not be expected to provide vaccination status certificates for their patients for the purposes of travel, but may at their discretion confirm the COVID-19 vaccines a patient has received. This letter may be used at the IOM border by returning residents as evidence, pending rollout of the NHS App, however a doctor’s letter is most unlikely to be recognised at any international border.
How do I register for the NHS App?
The NHS App is available to download on iOS and Android. To use it you must be aged 13 or over and registered with a GP in the Isle of Man.
To register, individuals will need to validate their identity using photographic ID and provide their NHS number. This number is on your NHS record card which is given to you when you register with a GP, is on your prescriptions and is also used to register for Patient Access in the Isle of Man.
Why isn’t the Isle of Man Government creating its own version of the app?
The NHS app allows Island residents to have their vaccination status held in a recognised and secure digital format. We expect this to be widely recognised and accepted for international travel. Creating a system of our own would be costly in resource and time, and would present a challenge to secure recognition globally.
We have well-established existing links and contracts with the NHS so it makes sense for the Isle of Man to work in partnership with the UK for the purpose of COVID vaccine certificates.
Linking to the NHS App is a practical and cost-effective way to provide Island residents with the certificate they may need, in digital or paper form, for travel.
Where can I go for further help with my query?
Members of the public are urged to seek information about vaccination certificates using online resources in the first instance. An overview of the scheme to provide Isle of Man residents with vaccination certificates for travel, and links to other sources of information can be viewed on the COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate page.
The COVID Community Support Team can also help with queries, in person at the Welcome Centre in Douglas, or by phone on +44 1624 686262 between 8am and 6pm Monday to Saturday.