Malta is now accepting the UK's NHS vaccine certificate app as proof of vaccination after a day of travel chaos.

The health ministry said Maltese authorities had been able to create a 'verifier app' to check the authenticity of Britain's digital certificate.

"As from today, 1st July 2021, Malta will be accepting the digital app version of the UK NHS vaccine certificate, as well as the paper version of the certificate," the statement said.

It ends a saga that saw the holiday plans of people from Malta's top tourism market thrown into chaos.

On Tuesday evening, the authorities announced that only the paper version of the certificate - which takes five working days to be delivered - would be accepted as proof of vaccination.

The following day, 75 people travelling on an Air Malta flight from Heathrow to Malta were denied boarding. 

Following a surge of bookings from the UK last week after Malta was placed on the UK’s green list for travel, confusion over Malta’s travel rules has led to a dip in holiday bookings.

Another hurdle for British people wanting to holiday in Malta is the requirement that travellers over 12 have to be fully vaccinated. This means those aged 12-17 can not travel, as the UK currently does not vaccinate the under-18s.

Malta has imposed strict rules on those travelling from the UK in an attempt to keep the highly infectious Delta variant from spreading in the country, which has only two cases of the variant. 

Besides the UK certificates and its own, Malta is now also recognising the EU-wide COVID-19 certificate.

The reiterated on Thursday that those coming from the United Kingdom will only be allowed to enter Malta upon the presentation of a vaccine certificate recognised by the Superintendent for Public Health.