Digital health passports are gaining in popularity as technology companies, airlines, and even governments are developing different versions. But how to make heads or tails of this trend in a way that will allow you to advise your clients with confidence?
Here are some of the topics to consider when researching the right one for you and your clients:
Exactly what is a Digital Health Passport?
Some airlines and airports offer testing facilities but digital health passports are the likely next step, and are designed to be more universally accepted.
Who is creating these Passports?
Some of the currently offered digital health passports to emerge included
ICC AOKpass - from the International Chamber of Commerce
CoronaPass - from automated processing company Bizagi
CommonPass - from The Commons Project Foundation
IATA Travel Pass- from the International Air Transport Association
iProov-Mvine passport from iProov user authentification company
The Covid Credentials Initiative (CCI) - with Linux Foundation Public Health
VeriFLY - from user authentification company Daon
V-Health Passport- an independant UK based company
We expect to start seeing collaborations of airlines and countries choosing different passport partners.
Update (3/2/2021): E.U. officials confirmed that they’re working on a European ‘digital green pass’ and the European Commission is expected to publish a draft of the legislation by March 17.
Update (3/9/2021) Spain's Amadeus is launching a feature allowing people to upload documents such as COVID-19 vaccination certificates onto an airline app or website, as the travel industry scrambles for ways to get planes flying again. Amadeus said on Tuesday its system, which will be hosted within an existing platform for storing identification data, is due to be deployed in the second quarter.
Update (3/10/2021) Singapore Airlines will become the first airline in the world to pilot the Travel Pass mobile application from the International Air Transport Association. The carrier will launch the digital health verification tool to passengers travelling from Singapore to London from March 15th. The trial will run until March 28th.
Update ( 3/10/2021). China annoucned that they have launched a "Green Viral Passport". The certificate , which is available in both paper and digital formats, is currently available only to Chinese citizens. The digital certificate, which shows a user’s vaccination status and virus test results, is available for Chinese citizens via a programme on Chinese social media platform WeChat that was launched on Monday, March 8th.
How do Digital Health Passports work?
The idea behind digital health passport is as follows:
1. A traveler downloads an app on their smartphone
2. They either connect that app with their travel provider or upload their itinerary
3. The app provides guidance for what verifications they need to travel
4. The travelers is required to show that they have been tested at a certified testing center or have been vaccinated
5. The app then supplies the traveler with a unique QR code, or other proof, verifying they are safe to fly
While we anticipate that, over time, the systems will become more flexible and user friendly, It is important to know that you may need to have a unique mobile device for each traveler.
IATA claims that its TravelPass is an important step in the collaboration between governments and industry.
IATA plans to offer airlines the option to integrate its Travel Pass into their own app — allowing a traveler to bypass downloading a standalone app. This would allow for a single app download and be more practical for most travelers. The app is expected to be available in March of 2021. Other versions are scheduled to allow for group travelers and the addition of minors on one device.
Where are these Passports accepted?
Acceptance of digital health passports differs by product and destination.
At this time, it appears that most countries will eventually recognize multiple platforms as acceptable digital health passports, in the same way they purchase different vaccines. One step towards national recognition could be the inclusion of domestic travel requirement. One should expect to use some form of Digital Health Passport in order to board an international (and possibly domestic) flight for your next vacation.
Airlines are also taking a Swiss Army approach to the various platforms. United has tested CommonPass on flights between London and New York. At the same time, it is part of the airline advisory group for Travel Pass. The carrier has also integrated some aspects of a digital health passport into its own app following the CDC Covid testing requirements for all international arrivals in the U.S.
British Airways has tested CommonPass. Singapore Airlines is testing the IATA Travel Pass, with IAG, Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways to follow. American Airlines has made the VeriFLY app available for travelers flying into the U.S., while from Feb. 4 British Airways will be the first airline in the UK to trial it for customers flying from London to the U.S.
Reaching out to the carrier and finding out which app they are accepting during the 4 to 6 weeks before travel is the recommended practice.
How safe is the data in these apps?
As with any system that stores sensitive data, how these passports preserve privacy is being scrutinized.
The ICC AOKPass and IATA TravelPass use blockchain technology. This has advantages because there is no central database that could be hacked to access personal information, and it also means the app providers do not collect personal and medical data.
VeriFLY, which is being offered by identity assurance technology company Daon, uses biometric authentication.
Other providers are looking at different approaches. On their websites it tends to be one of the primary subjects they address.
The V-Health Passport, for example, describes a trademarked VCode that has 2.2 quintillion secure VCode image variations (roughly 300 million per person on the planet).
Will these Digital Health Passports create a travel rebound?
The straight-forward answer is: perhaps. The passport technology is gaining traction with airlines and governments, but we are really in the early (pilot) phase.
As the process matures, governments will align over their choice of choices of provider, and travelers will be less confused. We are seeing the development of new solutions as well, including a 15-minute test that works with your mobile device from Australian company Ellume that the US government has invested over $200 million in.
The reality is that regulations and processes are needed to establish standards and normalcy and give confidence to the average traveler. The technology is here as well as a willingness to collaborate, but a lot depends on borders reopening, the uptake of vaccinations at scale and more global standards for these passports.