Following many queries from our readers, The Jerusalem Post would like to explain the differences between a vaccination certificate and a green passport.
What is a vaccination certificate?
A vaccination certificate is an official certificate that indicates you have been vaccinated. The certificate will be issued to those who receive a second vaccine dose and will be valid starting one week after receiving the second dose and for six months.
What is a green passport?
A green passport is available to anyone who has been fully vaccinated with two doses for at least one week and people who have recovered from coronavirus. The green passport is meant to give these individuals access to various locations and events as they open up in a safer way.
Where do I get a vaccination certificate?
A vaccination certificate is generally given to you by your health fund upon receipt of your second Pfizer vaccine shot and is good one week later. It can also be downloaded via your fund’s website or from the Health Ministry “Green Pass” website: https://corona.health.gov.il/green-pass/.
Where do I get a green passport?
The passport can be downloaded via the traffic-light smartphone application (put in “Ramzor” in the search bar), the Health Ministry’s Green Pass website or via the ministry call center (*5400). People who call the hotline can have the passport sent to them via email, text or even snail mail.
So what’s the difference?
The vaccination certificate is in Hebrew and English and can be used to demonstrate internationally that you have been vaccinated and for two weeks or so at cultural and sporting events. However, for the long term in Israel, the certificate is only meant to prove that you are exempt from isolation if you come into contact with a sick person or if you return from abroad.
In contrast, the green passport is your ticket back to life. You will be asked to present the passport to enter cultural or sporting events, for example.
The green passport has a secure QR code that can only be scanned via the green-passport application.
The Health Ministry informed the public on Saturday night that for at least the next two weeks, a vaccination certificate can be used instead of a passport due to challenges with the green-passport website and application that have been crashing due to overuse.
And what if I recovered from coronavirus?
A certificate of recovery is an official document confirming you no longer have COVID-19. This certificate is given to any person who qualifies as a recovered coronavirus patient and will be in effect until June 30, 2021.