Travellers vaccinated in the USA will soon be required to prove their vaccination status upon arrival in Malta through a smartphone application.

The Malta Tourism Authority said on Friday that it had signed an agreement with VeriFLY, aimed at offering US-based tourists a hassle-free solution for travel to Malta. 

Travellers will be required to download the VeriFLY app onto their smartphones, create a secure profile and upload their vaccine information and other documentation as required. 

The app will then verify that the passenger’s information matches the requirements set by Malta and displays a simple pass or fail message. Following that, the passenger will be guided to fill in the passenger locator form for entry into Malta.

Malta requires all incoming travellers to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or else spend 14 days in quarantine. Currently, US-issued vaccine certificates are being manually checked upon entry to Malta, following an agreement Malta reached with US authorities last week. 

The health ministry has previously said that it expects digital verification of the certificates to begin on August 1. 

In a statement announcing the VeriFLY deal, the MTA said that users' data would be stored securely and only be used for the purpose and period of time required to satisfy travel requirements. VeriFLY users will also maintain strict controls over how, when and with whom their information is shared. 

“We will continue to work hard to ensure that the local tourism sector pursues its path towards recovery in a sustainable and responsible manner,” Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said. 

The VeriFLY app is available for Android and iPhone, though reviews are less than favourable: the app has a score of 1.7 out of 5 on the Google Play Store and 2.5 out of 5 on the Apple Store.