New Delhi: Ninety-six countries have agreed to mutually recognise vaccine certificates of fully vaccinated travellers with India. “At present, 96 countries have agreed to mutual recognition of vaccine certificates and also those who recognise Indian vaccination certificates of travellers fully vaccinated with Covishield/WHO approved/nationally approved vaccines,” a statement of the Health Ministry said.
The countries include Canada, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Bangladesh, Mali, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Angola, Nigeria, Benin, Chad, Hungary, Serbia, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Finland, Estonia, Romania, Moldova, Albania, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Austria, Montenegro, and Iceland.
Canada, however, does not yet recognise Covaxin and the vaccine maker Bharat Biotech needs to submit an application with all data and evidence related to the clinical trials, the Canadian High Commission said on Tuesday.
The move was announced by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday. For those who wish to travel abroad, the international travel vaccination certificate can be downloaded from the CoWIN portal, the Health Ministry said.
Other countries which had given their individual nod to Covaxin to ease international travel and allow passengers to enter their geographies include Iran, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Oman and Greece.
However, those vaccinated with Covaxin cannot travel to all the countries that have approved the COVID-19 vaccine and that will not change despite WHO’s stamp given India’s air bubble agreement and a ban on international flights.
Notably, India has formed air-bubble pacts with around 28 countries, including the US, UK, UAE, Kenya, Bhutan and France. Under an air-bubble agreement between two countries, special international flights can be operated by their airlines with specific restrictions. Basis the air bubble agreements, Indians who have taken Covaxin can only travel to Oman, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Countries that do not recognise Covaxin
There are several countries where Indians, jabbed with Covaxin, cannot take a direct flight to. These include Greece, Canada, Australia, Philippines, Mexico and Mauritius,
