Last update: November 22nd, 2021.
Colombia has been using a vaccine pass for access to public spaces since the middle of November in the hopes of achieving herd immunity.
Vitalpass is one of the first of its kind in Latin America and has previously only served as proof of vaccination.
By Christmas, residents as young as 5 years old will have to take part in the scheme in order to access a variety of establishments including restaurants and sports centers.
Colombia’s COVID pass comes at a time when the infection rate is at its lowest in an effort to delay the next wave of infections.
COVID certificate regulations in Colombia
Colombia’s COVID pass regulations came into effect on November 16th, and everybody over the age of 18 will need to show proof of vaccination to visit pubs, bars, cinemas, nightclubs, concerts, casinos, sports events, church services, museums, and theme parks.
“A high proportion of the population is already vaccinated, but an unvaccinated part of the population remains, which ends up affecting and increasing the risk of contagion,” said health minister, Fernando Ruiz Gómez.
During the initial stages of the Colombian vaccine passport scheme, one dose of vaccination will be sufficient. A second dose will later become mandatory to gain entry.
By November 30th, everyone over 11 years old must carry a COVID passport in Colombia. By December 15th, the mandate extends to everyone over 5 years old.
Colombia’s President, Iván Duque, went on record to justify this sudden change in protocol and added that it is not mandatory to be vaccinated but it is a necessity.
“In addition to being a social control mechanism supported by science so that we achieve greater collective immunity and minimize health risks, people relax because the numbers are decreasing but crowded places have a level of risk and that is minimized with vaccination.”
The COVID passport for Colombia comes in the form of a secure QR code and can be downloaded at www.mivacuna.sispro.gov.co after the first dose.
Can I travel to Colombia with my COVID certificate?
Negotiations are underway to get the Colombian travel pass compatible with the EU Digital COVID Certificate.
Colombia has been allowing travelers into the country with only a negative PCR test and no quarantine restrictions.
The president explained that foreign vaccine cards should be compatible with Colombia’s electronic system and should be submitted ahead of arrival for approval.
“The card that the person has can be verified and can be included in the electronic system. We urge them to regularize their situation by asking IPS to certify their vaccine so that they have their electronic card” he said.
Where can Colombian citizens travel to during COVID-19 pandemic
One of the biggest problems Colombian tourists looking to go abroad are facing is that vaccines administered in Colombia are not yet accepted everywhere.
The UK, for example, only accepts vaccines administered in the UK, EU, South Korea, NZ, Australia, or the US as legitimate. These include EMA and WHO-approved vaccines.
Theoretically, travel to the EU is possible, but each country has its own entrance regulations and Colombia is often on “red” lists. Travelers are urged to assess the entry requirements for each of their destinations in the EU individually.
Travel to the USA is allowed with a negative PCR test and Canada allows travelers to upload their vaccine certificate to the Canadian system.
Is Colombia’s COVID pass secure?
Vitalpass has been developed through blockchain technology, an ultra-secure decentralized system to protect vaccine passport users’ information and avoid COVID pass fraud.
“The use of blockchain technology makes this digital passport one of the safest and most reliable tools to guarantee the transparent process of vaccination in Colombia, because the information cannot be changed, erased or manipulated, thus ensuring the validity of the certificate against cases of forgery, double vaccination, or others,” said Dr. Andrés Vásquez, Director of Biomedical Innovation and Health-Tech at Auna Ideas.
Is it safe to travel to Colombia now? COVID-19 statistics
The first cases of COVID were recorded in the first quarter of 2020 and have since climbed to more than 5,000,000 cases and close to 129,000 deaths.
The peak infection rate came halfway through 2021 with more than 33,000 new cases per day. Since then there has been a sharp decline in cases and only 2,649 new cases were recorded on November 21st.
Colombia’s vaccination campaign was off to a slow start with a gradual increase observed since July.
Just over 53 million vaccine doses have been administered and 46% of the population is fully inoculated.