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COVID Passports for International Business Travel
April 14, 2021
A so-called COVID-19 “passport” is a digital or physical record of a person’s COVID-19 health status, which may include information about vaccinations, test results and immunity through previous infection, among other data points.
These systems are intended to allow government authorities, transport providers and others to check whether an individual meets their COVID-19 travel requirements and should therefore be granted permission to enter or access services. It is important to remember that these “passports” certify health records – they do not in themselves grant permissions.
A wide range of organisations are currently planning or developing versions of the COVID passport system, including the European Union, IATA, private companies and national governments. Their approaches vary, none are universally accepted by government authorities or airlines, and there is no accepted international standard for such systems.
Employers are increasingly considering the potential benefits and problems of COVID travel certificate systems. Questions to ask include:
- Who exactly in the organisation may require proof of their COVID-19-related health status, and for which travel and immigration purposes?
- What access do people in the organisation have to vaccines and healthcare (depending on, for example, their nationality, country of residence, their age, income and beliefs)?
- Does a given system sufficiently address international data management laws and the privacy concerns of users?
- Which systems facilitate the organisation’s specific international travel and immigration requirements?
- Which systems meet broadly-recognised standards yet are resilient and flexible enough to adapt to the ongoing development in scientific understanding of COVID-19 and rapid changes in government requirements?
As these systems continue to be developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are likely to encounter these and similar issues in planning their global immigration and business travel programmes.
The Newland Chase Entry Guide is the Source for all your Travel Needs
COVID-19 has transformed international travel and each country has implemented unique entry requirements. These requirements are changing constantly. Our Newland Chase Entry Guide is the up-to-date and authoritative source for all your travel needs. The Newland Chase Entry Guide provides a quick summary of entry specifications based on your individual trip details.
Check out the Newland Chase Entry Guide to learn what’s required for single or multiple destinations.
Need additional information tailored to your organization? Contact your dedicated Newland Chase representative for additional information or schedule a consultation with one of our experts.
