Children in England who have had two Covid-19 jabs are now eligible for an NHS Covid Pass letter for travel.

This will allow those children who have had both doses of an approved vaccine to travel to countries, including Spain and Canada, which now require 12 to 15-year-olds to be fully vaccinated in order to gain entry, avoid isolation, or access venues or services.

Proof of vaccination will initially be provided via a letter service including an internationally recognised 2D barcode, with a digital solution via NHS.uk to be rolled out early next year. The letter service can be accessed by calling 119 or via NHS.uk and it can take up to seven days to receive a Covid Pass letter.

Sajid Javid, health and social care secretary, said: “From today, I can confirm the NHS Covid Pass is being rolled out to 12 to 15-year-olds for international travel, allowing even more people to be able to prove their vaccine status for travel where it’s needed.

“The move will enable families to plan holidays in 2022 with greater confidence, as parents can be reassured they will be able to evidence their child’s vaccination status once they have had both doses of the vaccine.”

Children remain exempt from domestic certification policy in England and will not require an NHS Covid Pass to gain entry to venues.

Matthew Gould, chief executive of NHSX, said: “This is another example of the NHS Covid Pass service responding to the changing situation, while maintaining the integrity of the NHS Covid Pass itself.”