KRG to issue vaccination cards for double-jabbed citizens next week: Official

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Starting next week, fully vaccinated people in the Kurdistan Region can apply for a vaccine passport to allow them to travel abroad with fewer restrictions, according to the health ministry.

The pass dubbed the "COVID-19 Vaccination Card" is issued by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), according to Harbi Kato, the head of the health ministry's Information technology department.

The authorities have opened an office in each province where vaccinated people can apply for the document, said Kato. The ministry will reportedly open more offices if needed.

The card, which allows fully vaccinated citizens to travel abroad with the fewest number of restrictions, including quarantine, contains personal information about the carrier and their vaccination status that can be verified with the Quick Response (QR) code on the back.

To obtain the document, a person must submit their travel passport and the document showing they have been fully vaccinated with either the British-Swedish AstraZeneca, American-German Pfizer-BioNTech, or Chinese Sinopharm, according to Kato.

Vaccination documents issued by the regional and federal Iraqi health ministries are valid to apply for the card, the health official said.

The number of countries which would allow the KRG-issued vaccine pass is not yet clear.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is aware of the KRG efforts to issue the document, Kato added.

The Kurdistan Region began its vaccination drive in March 2021, giving the jabs firstly to its health care workers. So far, the region has administered over 314,000 doses it had received as its share from the Iraqi federal government.