Access to bars, restaurants etc France and COVID passports touscovid

[slowdriver]

Access to many if not all French public buildings is increasingly dependent upon being fully vaccinated, and being able to demonstrate this via, in the case of France the TousAntiCovid verification App.

This app, which reads and validates QR codes does not work with the NHS app. Or at least not yet.

There are similar apps for many of the EU states and they are integrated, to an extent, such that a French QR code might be recognised by a German validation app. This seems to be a work in progress. The UK decided not to participate although invited, in this cooperative exercise. As a result some British people have not been able to access Museums and Restaurants.. The QR codes that the NHS app generates are readable by the French TousAntiCovid Verification App but generate an “invalid” response from the app. Those going to France might wish to review this pretty comprehensive Twitter thread that outlines the situation and the workarounds for France and other likely destinations in Europe.

 

[Derek Uzzell]

Apparently the QR COVID vaccination code produced by the UK's NHS App and that can be transferred into the French equivalent can now provide a valid verification using the 'reader' used in France.

 

This recent forum thread refers

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Passe-Sanitaire/58629/

[crocs]

From what I’ve read on official French sites, the requirement is to prove double vaccination. The method is not mandated and paper evidence is acceptable. Not everyone in France will have access to Tousanticovid app.

[Derek Uzzell]

Use of a hardcopy vaccinationn certificate was mentioned on the “Passe Sanitaire” forum thread I provided a link to above.

 

I like hardcopy and I dislike mobile phones. However, the phone and the internet dominate nowadays and, as Chris points out in his posting of 6 August 2021 3:08 PM on this other Frrance/COVID thread

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Advice-about-Covid-tests-when-returning-from-France/58640/#M695399

 

there seems to be no means of avoiding online completion of the Passenger Locator form needed when returning to the UK.

 

It would make sense to have a hardcopy ‘back up’ for the French COVID Pass that could be printed in advance of a trip to France. But obtaining in hardcopy form the information required prior to returning to the UK may prove more challenging.

[crocs]

Derek Uzzell - 2021-08-08 9:13 AM

 

Use of a hardcopy vaccinationn certificate was mentioned on the “Passe Sanitaire” forum thread I provided a link to above.

 

I like hardcopy and I dislike mobile phones. However, the phone and the internet dominate nowadays and, as Chris points out in his posting of 6 August 2021 3:08 PM on this other Frrance/COVID thread

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Advice-about-Covid-tests-when-returning-from-France/58640/#M695399

 

there seems to be no means of avoiding online completion of the Passenger Locator form needed when returning to the UK.

 

It would make sense to have a hardcopy ‘back up’ for the French COVID Pass that could be printed in advance of a trip to France. But obtaining in hardcopy form the information required prior to returning to the UK may prove more challenging.

I agree. Personally, I’m pretty tech savvy and always use digital to the max (albeit with hard copy backup). My point was to reassure people that hard copies are acceptable under the regulations.

[Brian Kirby]

I hadn't realised that it was possible to get an NHS COVID pass letter until I read this string, so thanks fir that information.

 

I thought it might be useful to others to post a link to the relevant NHS site as the application process is quick, efficient, and easy: https://tinyurl.com/45u6cs3k

 

The letter is not the only option, and it is possible to obtain a statement in one of a number of languages explaining the meaning of the letter (although it would have been helpful if the explanation could have been in a number of languages, as for the statements on the back of your van insurance certificate). More details on the above website.

[Derek Uzzell]

For anyone wondering what a NHS COVID Pass letter looks like, this link provides details

 

https://tinyurl.com/y736thep

 

 

[BruceM]

Well, I’ve just set up the NHS app on my mob and obtained my covid vaccination QR codes – all very straightforward. I’ve also set up the French TousAntiCovid app on my mob and added my two vaccination certificates – again very straightforward.

 

One thing I notice though is that the NHS vaccination certificates appear to have a one month expiry date. Does anyone know what the rational is behind this? I’d have thought that if the certs are just showing vaccination status they should remain valid indefinitely especially as they provide the date of vaccination .

 

Also, on entering a venue do both certificate QR codes have to be shown or am I missing a sensible shortcut, ie something on the app that will just indicate to the venue that both vaccinations have been received?

[slowdriver]

BruceM - 2021-08-11 4:51 PM

 

One thing I notice though is that the NHS vaccination certificates appear to have a one month expiry date. Does anyone know what the rational is behind this? I’d have thought that if the certs are just showing vaccination status they should remain valid indefinitely especially as they provide the date of vaccination .

I was similarly perplexed by that and can see no good reason for it. But that's true of much this government comes up with. It's all a bit "back of a fag packet".

 

Also, on entering a venue do both certificate QR codes have to be shown or am I missing a sensible shortcut, ie something on the app that will just indicate to the venue that both vaccinations have been received?

I have downloaded the app that French venues use to verify your certificates - TousAntiCovid Verif. And then tested it against the NHS QR codes held in my TousAntiCovid app wallet.

 

If you use the TousAntiCovid Verif app on the QR code for your first vaccination it fails and comes up with something like "Verification Invalid".

 

However if you use it to scan the second QR code which encodes your second jab (and maybe both first and second jabs) then it validates you as fully vaccinated.

 

Which makes sense really.

[Derek Uzzell]

The ‘validity’ periods of the NHS Covid Pass are referred to in the "How to get your NHS COVID Pass” section of this link.

 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/covid-pass/

 

The 30 day duration was mentioned in May 2021 on this link (I’ve quoted the relevant text below)

 

https://www.digitalhealth.net/2021/05/patient-access-launches-covid-19-passport-feature/

 

I have made contact via email with NHS Digital Support Centre, they have sent an automated response with questions & answers

 

QUESTION No 1, My detailed COVID-19 vaccination information on the NHS App/NHS website is showing an expiry date.

 

ANSWER No 1, The expiry date relates only to the QR code, which may need to be updated as international standards are agreed. The QR codes will automatically update when they expire, & anyone using the PDF option via the NHS website will be able to retrieve the new QR code for use after the expiry date. The UK Government is contributing to the emerging international standards & the expiry date is only for the BARCODE, which will be refreshed automatically in the NHS App & on the NHS website when these standards are agreed.

 

This link to the UK Covid Pass Verifier app

 

https://www.nhsx.nhs.uk/covid-19-response/domestic-covid-pass-verifier-app-user-guide/

 

indicates that the QR code’s expiry date is evidently checked by the UK app’s validation procedures.

 

If a UK Covid Pass QR code is imported into the French TousAntiCovid app and recognised as ‘valid’, I don’t know whether or not the UK-produced QR code becomes ‘invalid’ (as far as the TousAntiCovid app is concerned) when the code’s expiry date is reached.

 

[BruceM]

Derek Uzzell - 2021-08-12 7:40 AM

 

If a UK Covid Pass QR code is imported into the French TousAntiCovid app and recognised as ‘valid’, I don’t know whether or not the UK-produced QR code becomes ‘invalid’ (as far as the TousAntiCovid app is concerned) when the code’s expiry date is reached.

Interesting stuff, unless someone gets there before me I’ll diarise to test it in a months time.

[BruceM]

BruceM - 2021-08-12 11:37 AM

 

Derek Uzzell - 2021-08-12 7:40 AM

 

If a UK Covid Pass QR code is imported into the French TousAntiCovid app and recognised as ‘valid’, I don’t know whether or not the UK-produced QR code becomes ‘invalid’ (as far as the TousAntiCovid app is concerned) when the code’s expiry date is reached.

Interesting stuff, unless someone gets there before me I’ll diarise to test it in a months time.

 

So now back from France and everything was straight forward and went smoothly, the French side being more straightforward than the English side.

 

I said that I’d check the ‘valid status’ of a ‘date expired’ NHS covid vaccination QR code.

 

My double vaxed status NHS QR code is claimed to to be valid until 10 September so I checked it today with the French validation tool (TousAntiCovid Verif) and it continues to display as valid. This seems reasonable given that my vaccination status has not change. If the validity expiry date is embedded within the QR code it appears to be ignored by the French verification tool.