
A report has claimed that millions of Britons could be given Covid passports by May 17 to allow them to take holidays to foreign countries and avoid quarantine on their arrival at their destinations.
These passports are likely to be different from domestic Covid certificates issued by the UK government, the report by Guardian claimed.
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Sources said the documents are still under works and should be available before international travel restrictions are lifted next month.
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary said that the passports "will, of course, be a part of international travel".
He hoped that these should not be seen as "controversial," but insisted on the need for a cautious reopening amid the threat of virus strains.
These documents would be for nations that seek proof of vaccination, a Department of Transport insider said.
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Another source said that the Foreign Office was quietly consulting other countries to check whether they would accept such passports shown through an NHS app that is being developed.
Earlier, Israel is leading the vaccination drive and has lifted several of its Covid restrictions, have issued a "green passport" system that gives access to certain places to people who have either vaccinated or recovered from the deadly virus.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization's (WHO) emergency committee on Monday expressed its opposition for international travellers being required to have proof of inoculation, partly on grounds that such measures would increase inequities.