Inbound travelers to HK required two COVID jabs to get Provisional Vaccine pass

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government announced that starting today, September 17,  inbound travelers to Hong Kong are required to have received at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to get a Provisional Vaccine Pass.

The revision of the provisional vaccine pass arrangement applicable to all inbound travelers was announced yesterday.

The Government launched the Provisional Vaccine Pass arrangement for inbound travelers in May this year in order to facilitate the implementation of the Vaccine Pass.

The arrangement at the time could provide sufficient time for those who intend to stay in Hong Kong for a longer period of time to receive additional vaccine doses in the city so as to comply with the vaccine pass requirements, and facilitate short-term travelers in entering vaccine pass applicable premises for their daily activities.

The Hong Kong Government spokesman said, “The Provisional Vaccine Pass, applicable to all inbound travelers including HKRs and non-HKRs as well as travelers from the Mainland, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas places, aims to provide a transitional period for inbound travelers to receive vaccination upon their arrival at Hong Kong to meet the vaccination requirements under the Vaccine Pass, and at the same time allow those who are in Hong Kong for a short stay to enter Vaccine Pass applicable premises.”

“For eligible inbound travelers who intend to stay in Hong Kong for a longer period of time, we call on them to receive the required dosage of vaccine at venues providing COVID-19 vaccination in Hong Kong according to the vaccination requirements under the Vaccine Pass as soon as possible upon their arrival in Hong Kong, such that they can secure protection by vaccination early and continue to enter premises subject to the Vaccine Pass after the expiry of the Provisional Vaccine Pass, he added”

The vaccination requirements for inbound travelers to be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass will be aligned as follows:

(1) Persons aged 12 or above are required to be fully vaccinated in order to comply with the requirement to be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass. Being fully vaccinated means the required dosage has been administered in accordance with the List of COVID-19 Vaccines Recognised for Specified Purposes, referring to two doses in general. As for recovered persons who had been infected with COVID-19, they are required to have received one dose in order to be classified as fully vaccinated.

(2) Persons who are unfit for vaccination due to health reasons bearing relevant proof issued by a medical practitioner, or persons who have received one dose of recognized COVID-19 vaccine and hold a vaccination record but are unfit to receive the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine because of health reasons, bearing relevant proof issued by a medical practitioner, will also be considered as eligible to be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass. The relevant medical certificate must indicate in Chinese or English the health reasons for the relevant person being unfit for vaccination.

(3) Considering that in places outside Hong Kong, vaccination for children aged 11 or below has started later than that for adults, children aged 11 or below will be issued the Provisional Vaccine Pass without having been vaccinated at this stage.