The Government announced today (January 3) that it has concluded discussions with the Governments of Belarus, Brunei Darussalam and Vietnam to accept vaccination records issued by these places as recognised vaccination records for Hong Kong residents who have stayed in Group A specified places under the mechanism. The Government will also accept the vaccination records issued by Montenegro, Tunisia and Uruguay for boarding flights for Hong Kong by Hong Kong residents who have stayed in Group A specified places. The relevant arrangements will take effect at 0.00am on January 5 (Wednesday).

     Belarus, Brunei Darussalam and Vietnam are currently Group A specified places. From 0.00am on January 5, Hong Kong residents who hold a vaccination record issued by the relevant authorities of these places in the prescribed format can board a flight for Hong Kong from Group A specified places. The vaccines administered for the relevant travellers have to be vaccines listed on the Government's List of COVID-19 Vaccines Recognised for Specified Purposes.

     Meanwhile, the Government announced earlier that it accepts vaccination records recognised under the EU Digital COVID Certificate mechanism as recognised vaccination records required for the purpose of boarding flights for Hong Kong from high-risk Group A specified places. As the European Union (EU) has recently announced the recognition of the vaccination records issued by Montenegro, Tunisia and Uruguay as being equivalent to vaccination records issued by EU member states under the mechanism, the Government will therefore also accept the vaccination records issued by these places as recognised vaccination records from 0.00am on January 5.

     The Government notes that the EU Digital COVID Certificate mechanism has also recognised the vaccination records issued by Thailand. Further to the recognition arrangement reached with Thailand earlier, the Government will update the List of Places of Issuance of Recognised Vaccination Records to include Thailand as a place issuing recognised vaccination records under the EU Digital COVID Certificate mechanism.

     The Government has implemented stringent inbound prevention and control measures for travellers arriving at Hong Kong from overseas places. Travellers who have stayed in Group A specified places on the day of boarding or in the 21 days before that day can only board a flight for Hong Kong if they are Hong Kong residents who are fully vaccinated and holding recognised vaccination records. Recognised vaccination records include those issued by Hong Kong, Mainland or Macao authorities or an institution recognised by Mainland or Macao authorities, an authority or recognised institution of a country where its national regulatory authority is designated by the World Health Organization as a stringent regulatory authority, or a relevant authority or recognised institution of a country with which Hong Kong has reached a recognition agreement arrangement with its government.

     The list of places that are accepted for issuing recognised vaccination records is set out in the Annex, and will be uploaded to the Government's COVID-19 thematic website.

     The Government will continue to discuss with other places on the arrangements for the recognition of vaccination records, and will update the list as recognition arrangements are agreed with these places.

Ends/Monday, January 3, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:30

NNNN