Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed COVID-19 vaccine certificates will be available for New Zealanders in November.
The Government is still figuring out when the certificate will need to be used, with details to be announced in the coming weeks, but Ardern confirmed they will be required to attend high-risk large-scale events.
"This is a warning to you, or a heads up," Ardern said on Tuesday to Kiwis planning to attend large festivals over the Christmas break, that they need to get vaccinated before then, because proof of vaccination will be required.
"The best way to guarantee your access to a summer festival is to be vaccinated."
When asked if everyone who wants to go to a summer festival would need a vaccination certificate, Ardern said: "Yes".
"This is us forewarning you that if you are booked to go to a summer festival that whilst we're continuing to work on the framework and some of the details, this is a warning to you, or a heads up: Go out and get vaccinated now because you will need that vaccination certificate to be a part of that large-scale event."
The Ministry of Health is piloting a new consumer app called My COVID Record, which will be used to provide evidence of vaccination records. The Government is still working through identity verification implications.
Soon Kiwis will be given access to COVID-19 vaccination records. Late in October the Ministry of Health intends to make test results accessible on the app. Then from November the vaccination certificates will be available.
It has not yet been decided if people will have to be fully immunised, which is defined as two weeks after the second dose of vaccine.
A vaccine certificate will not be required to access essential health services and supermarket visits, due to obvious human rights implications, but people are urged to get vaccinated by November in time for when the certificates will be launched.
The Government is considering requiring mandating proof of vaccination for hospitality venues. A legal framework is being worked through where venues could require proof of vaccinaiton if the Government has not mandated it for that industry.
Ardern described it as "proof that you are fully vaccinated and you pose less risk to the people around you and the event you attend is less likely to become a super-spreader event".
There will be exemptions for those who medically cannot be vaccinated.
