Gulf NRIs face problems due to Indian Covid vaccine certificates

The Indian workers returning from India after vaccination are unable to update their health status in Gulf countries either digitally or physically

Jeddah: Indians working in the Gulf countries are now facing another problem. Those who got vaccinated in India against Covid-19 are finding it difficult to get the vaccination certificates accepted by the govenments in Gulf countries, as India’s CoWin portal is not recognised in Saudi Arabia and UAE.

The Indian workers returning from India after vaccination are unable to update their health status in Gulf countries either digitally or physically. The presentation of a hard copy of Indian vaccine certificate with QR scan code are not being accepted in these countries. Returning NRIs are desperately seeking help in facilitating the Indian vaccine update with the host Gulf countries system.

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“Indian Embassy came to know about these hurdles in updating returning NRIs’ health status in Saudi Arabia and we are addressing the issue with health authorities concerned”, Indian Ambassador Dr. Ausaf Sayeed told Indian community meeting in Jeddah recently.

The envoy emphasized that CoWIN of Indian government was an authentic digital platform to verify the vaccination data of a person. The NRIs have been running behind travel agents for attestation of Indian vaccination certificates by Saudi Arabian Embassy in New Delhi. Although Saudi Arabia and the rest of GCC didn’t say officially anywhere about the requirement of attestation, the NRIs have been doing rounds around the embassies to get the authentication.

In Hyderabad, several travel and recruitment agencies have been offering vaccination certificate translation and attestation. Several NRIs told ‘Telangana Today’ that they are paying between Rs. 6500 to Rs 8000 for attestation of vaccine certificates by embassies. Vaccination and other information relevant to Covid-19 of being digitally updated in Gulf countries.

Saudi Arabia and all other Gulf countries have their own mobile apps aimed at quelling the spread of Covid-19 besides updating virus relevant profilea. Tawakkalna (Saudi Arabia), Al Hosn (UAE) Tarassud (Oman) and Shlonik (Kuwait) are mandatory apps that people are required to use. Without showing health status in the app people are barred from entering public and working places. The NRIs who were vaccinated in Gulf countries have no problem as their health status is being updated automatically.

However, those vaccinated in India and returning to the Gulf are facing an uphill task to update their status in those apps. It is noteworthy to mention that 122 people including Saudi health ministry employees and foreign workers were arrested in Saudi Arabia for fraudulently updating health status in Tawakkalna App.

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