Reader question: How do you use the UK NHS Covid health pass in Italy?
Visitors to Italy need to show proof of their Covid-19 health status at many sites and venues under the country's 'green pass' system, and people from England can do this using the NHS Covid Pass. But some readers say they've recently had problems using it. Here's what you need to know if this happens to you.
Question: Our newly-generated NHS health pass QR codes were rejected while on holiday in Tuscany. Our previous QR codes worked fine in screenshot format. What's the problem?
The NHS Covid Pass, which proves the vaccination status of those jabbed in England and Wales for travel and events, has been accepted in Italy since August.
Equivalent apps from Scotland and Northern Ireland have also been accepted as proof of vaccination to access Italy's events and public spaces.
Since August 6th, Italy has required everyone to show a 'green pass' or 'certificazione verde' to enter indoor restaurants, museums, concert venues, gyms, spas, theme parks and many other cultural sites across the country. It has since been extended further to long-distance public transport, and is also a requirement for all workers in Italy to access any workplace.
EXPLAINED: Where do you now need to show a Covid green pass in Italy?
When it was initially rolled out to international travellers, many UK tourists reported they were turned away from Italy’s restaurants and public sites on presenting their health certificate - but this was subsequently fixed with a software update.
Two months on, UK-vaccinated tourists and second home-owners are reporting issues with getting their health certificates recognised in Italy once again.
As well as QR codes not being read, printed versions are also being rejected in some places.
One reader contacted us to say, "Many people in bars and restaurants can't read the English version, and the NHS does not provide [the certificate] in any other language, so we have had to be served outside with only myself allowed into the bar to place an order."
The surge in reports of the NHS Covid app suddenly not being recognised in Italy could be due to the service being temporarily down last Wednesday.
The NHS COVID Pass service was temp unavailable 11:45 - 15:15 today due to a technical issue with a global service provider that affected many different organisations. After an urgent investigation, this has been fixed and COVID Passes are available via the NHS App and online.
— NHS England Digital (@NHSDigital) October 13, 2021
Users received error messages stating that high traffic volumes are "limiting access to the service", according to news reports.
The outage caused travel disruption, with some people unable to board flights until the situation was resolved.
Waiting to fly at Heathrow and the NHS app has crashed with all the a COVID vaccination proof available. Currently not allowed to fly. Going to be an interesting afternoon at Heathrow.
— Caroline Frost (@FrostReporter) October 13, 2021
However, despite the NHS's assurances that the glitch was fixed, people in Italy trying to use the UK Covid Pass reported that the service has continued to malfunction.
Friday 15/10 lunchtime in Italy - Green Pass app reader rejected NHS covid pass in my apple wallet as not valid, but accepted my screenshot version. My wife’s apple wallet version also rejected. FYI: previous covid travel passes accepted by GreenPass. I’d tech issue resolved pls?
— Iainlynng (@iainlynng) October 18, 2021
Members of the British in Italy Facebook group have also indicated there are problems with recognising the NHS Covid app, noting issues with their QR codes now suddenly not being read by Italy's 'VerificaC19' app.
What you need to check when getting your QR code read
Although the NHS reported that "the Covid Pass is now operational on both NHS App and the NHS website", people in Italy continue to report problems.
So far, there have been no reports of bugs in Italy's VerificaC19 app either - or that it's not recognising UK vaccination certificates.
One other possible cause could be which QR code the venue is trying to read.
One reader told us that the restaurant scanned their first QR code, which came up as invalid as it was the first jab.
You have to show proof of your second shot. The pass generated from the first may not be recognised.
How you can check your NHS Covid Pass works
You can check that the app used by businesses and services in Italy will be able to read your QR code by downloading the VerficaC19 app yourself here.
However, if the QR code of your second dose is still not being read, what can you do?
One solution is to print out your vaccination records and present these as proof of your status and leave it up to the discretion of the business owner.
However, as a reader noted above, that doesn't always work, while this traveller reported complications with her NHS Covid Pass in Italy in early October and the red tape that may follow.
Having some problems getting nhs app recognised in Italy. As my hotel manager said, you may be fully protected against #covid but nothing protects you from Italian bureaucracy #italy #Travel
— Helen Bouchami (@HelenBouchami) October 5, 2021
What can you do if your app and paperwork is rejected?
Sticking to all outdoor activities might become less practical as the weather turns colder - and some outdoor events require a Covid health pass nevertheless.
Depending how long you are in Italy for, one option is to convert your UK health certificate into an Italian 'green pass' if you're here for an extended visit.
UPDATE: What visitors need to know about getting Italy’s Covid green pass
However, the process can only be completed while you are in Italy and the rules vary depending on which part of the country you’re in.
The process was initially intended for Italian citizens who were vaccinated abroad, though many local health authorities are now opening it up to anyone who is currently in the area they cover, including visitors. Find out more about how this works here.
Travellers who were vaccinated outside the EU can also access the Italian health pass by getting a coronavirus test in Italy.
Find out how to get tested in Italy here, and learn how to download the green pass using your test number here.
READ ALSO:
- The essential Italian phrases you need to know for getting tested and vaccinated
- What happens if I test positive for Covid-19 while visiting Italy?
Remember that passes obtained via testing are only valid for 48 hours in the case of rapid testing, or 72 hours if you take a PCR test.
Find the latest updates in our green pass news section and further details on the Italian government’s official website (currently only available in Italian).
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Question: Our newly-generated NHS health pass QR codes were rejected while on holiday in Tuscany. Our previous QR codes worked fine in screenshot format. What's the problem?
The NHS Covid Pass, which proves the vaccination status of those jabbed in England and Wales for travel and events, has been accepted in Italy since August.
Equivalent apps from Scotland and Northern Ireland have also been accepted as proof of vaccination to access Italy's events and public spaces.
Since August 6th, Italy has required everyone to show a 'green pass' or 'certificazione verde' to enter indoor restaurants, museums, concert venues, gyms, spas, theme parks and many other cultural sites across the country. It has since been extended further to long-distance public transport, and is also a requirement for all workers in Italy to access any workplace.
EXPLAINED: Where do you now need to show a Covid green pass in Italy?
When it was initially rolled out to international travellers, many UK tourists reported they were turned away from Italy’s restaurants and public sites on presenting their health certificate - but this was subsequently fixed with a software update.
Two months on, UK-vaccinated tourists and second home-owners are reporting issues with getting their health certificates recognised in Italy once again.
As well as QR codes not being read, printed versions are also being rejected in some places.
One reader contacted us to say, "Many people in bars and restaurants can't read the English version, and the NHS does not provide [the certificate] in any other language, so we have had to be served outside with only myself allowed into the bar to place an order."
The surge in reports of the NHS Covid app suddenly not being recognised in Italy could be due to the service being temporarily down last Wednesday.
The NHS COVID Pass service was temp unavailable 11:45 - 15:15 today due to a technical issue with a global service provider that affected many different organisations. After an urgent investigation, this has been fixed and COVID Passes are available via the NHS App and online.
— NHS England Digital (@NHSDigital) October 13, 2021
Users received error messages stating that high traffic volumes are "limiting access to the service", according to news reports.
The outage caused travel disruption, with some people unable to board flights until the situation was resolved.
Waiting to fly at Heathrow and the NHS app has crashed with all the a COVID vaccination proof available. Currently not allowed to fly. Going to be an interesting afternoon at Heathrow.
— Caroline Frost (@FrostReporter) October 13, 2021
However, despite the NHS's assurances that the glitch was fixed, people in Italy trying to use the UK Covid Pass reported that the service has continued to malfunction.
Friday 15/10 lunchtime in Italy - Green Pass app reader rejected NHS covid pass in my apple wallet as not valid, but accepted my screenshot version. My wife’s apple wallet version also rejected. FYI: previous covid travel passes accepted by GreenPass. I’d tech issue resolved pls?
— Iainlynng (@iainlynng) October 18, 2021
Members of the British in Italy Facebook group have also indicated there are problems with recognising the NHS Covid app, noting issues with their QR codes now suddenly not being read by Italy's 'VerificaC19' app.
What you need to check when getting your QR code read
Although the NHS reported that "the Covid Pass is now operational on both NHS App and the NHS website", people in Italy continue to report problems.
So far, there have been no reports of bugs in Italy's VerificaC19 app either - or that it's not recognising UK vaccination certificates.
One other possible cause could be which QR code the venue is trying to read.
One reader told us that the restaurant scanned their first QR code, which came up as invalid as it was the first jab.
You have to show proof of your second shot. The pass generated from the first may not be recognised.
How you can check your NHS Covid Pass works
You can check that the app used by businesses and services in Italy will be able to read your QR code by downloading the VerficaC19 app yourself here.
However, if the QR code of your second dose is still not being read, what can you do?
One solution is to print out your vaccination records and present these as proof of your status and leave it up to the discretion of the business owner.
However, as a reader noted above, that doesn't always work, while this traveller reported complications with her NHS Covid Pass in Italy in early October and the red tape that may follow.
Having some problems getting nhs app recognised in Italy. As my hotel manager said, you may be fully protected against #covid but nothing protects you from Italian bureaucracy #italy #Travel
— Helen Bouchami (@HelenBouchami) October 5, 2021
What can you do if your app and paperwork is rejected?
Sticking to all outdoor activities might become less practical as the weather turns colder - and some outdoor events require a Covid health pass nevertheless.
Depending how long you are in Italy for, one option is to convert your UK health certificate into an Italian 'green pass' if you're here for an extended visit.
UPDATE: What visitors need to know about getting Italy’s Covid green pass
However, the process can only be completed while you are in Italy and the rules vary depending on which part of the country you’re in.
The process was initially intended for Italian citizens who were vaccinated abroad, though many local health authorities are now opening it up to anyone who is currently in the area they cover, including visitors. Find out more about how this works here.
Travellers who were vaccinated outside the EU can also access the Italian health pass by getting a coronavirus test in Italy.
Find out how to get tested in Italy here, and learn how to download the green pass using your test number here.
READ ALSO:
- The essential Italian phrases you need to know for getting tested and vaccinated
- What happens if I test positive for Covid-19 while visiting Italy?
Remember that passes obtained via testing are only valid for 48 hours in the case of rapid testing, or 72 hours if you take a PCR test.
Find the latest updates in our green pass news section and further details on the Italian government’s official website (currently only available in Italian).
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