New vaccine passes are available from Tuesday for New Zealanders who are up-to-date with their jabs.
The passes will be downloadable for people who have had the recommended shots for their age group. For those over the age of 18, that means two primary doses and a booster. New Zealanders aged between 12 and 17 just need to have two primary doses. Passes are not available for anyone younger.
Previously, boosters, which were rolled out after passes were introduced, weren't required to receive a pass.
They are said to feature a slightly different look to the previous passes - used widely at the end of 2021 and over summer - but continue to feature QR codes.
There's no longer a legal requirement for businesses to use vaccine passes, but stores can voluntarily use the system as a condition of entry to make patrons or customers feel safe.
"For this reason, it is a good idea to have an up-to-date My Vaccine Pass handy in case you are asked for it. I encourage everyone to stay up-to-date with their vaccinations and download their updated pass as it's an important record of their vaccination status," COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said when announcing the new passes earlier this month.
"We've learnt over the last couple of years there are no certainties with COVID-19 and with new variants circling the globe, it's best we're prepared for every eventuality."
The updated passes will have an expiry date of six months from the date they are issued. There's no cut-off time for people to request one.
They can be obtained through My COVID Record, by calling 0800 28 29 26 or by visiting a participating vaccination site.
From May 31, people who are not up-to-date with their vaccinations because they have had COVID-19 over the last three months will still be able to request a pass. They will only be provided through the My Vaccine Record website if the person has reported a positive RAT result at the time they were infected.
