Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reason the Government does not recognise Botswana as having an approved proof of covid-19 vaccination.

We are taking a phased approach to the rollout of our inbound vaccination programme to other countries and territories to reopen travel in a safe and sustainable way. Vaccine certification between countries and territories varies considerably. We need to ensure that certificates/apps meet our published minimum requirements on content, that carriers are clear about the certification we shall accept, and that we are taking into account public health and wider considerations.

Our policy to date has not been to exclude any countries or territories, but rather to work internationally as we continue to explore expanding the policy to more countries and territories where it is safe to do so.