How to get an International Certificate of Vaccination in the Philippines

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If you want to travel abroad, then getting vaccinated can give you a lot of perks and advantages. You have to remember though that while the vaccination card or certificate you got from your city or LGU works all over the Philippines, it is not recognized abroad. If you want a document that is recognized all over the world as proof of vaccination, then you will need something called an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICV), which is what some people think of as a “vaccine passport”.

While it’s not an absolute requirement for some countries, having one will definitely make travel much easier. For example, in some countries it will let you skip quarantine requirements and/or negative testing requirements. Sometimes you can even get discounts. In any case, if you are already vaccinated and you want to travel abroad soon, then it’s definitely a good idea to get one. It’s relatively cheap and easy to get anyway. Here’s how to get an International Certificate of Vaccination in the Philippines.

Main Requirements:

• Vaccination card/proof of vaccination from your LGU.
• One valid ID (Driver’s License, Postal ID, etc.)
• Passport (with at least 6 months validity.)
• Email address for your ICV.BOQ.PH account.

Main Steps (Short Version):

1. Register at icv.boq.ph.
2. Add your information at the profile section.
3. Upload scans or photos of your valid ID, vaccination card(s), and passport.
4. Schedule an appointment.
5. Pay online to confirm your appointment.
6. Bring your original vaccination cards, ID, and passport to your BOQ appointment and show them to the BOQ personnel.
7. Receive your International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICV).

How to get an International Certificate of Vaccination in the Philippines

Special Note: Getting the Vaccine Batch/Lot Numbers

For most Philippine vaccination cards, the batch or lot number of the dose you received is usually handwritten by the nurse administering the shot. If the information is not clear because the handwriting has been rushed, then you can try to double-check the batch or lot number of your dose(s) online.

For example, if your vaccine is Moderna, you can check the lot number here (https://modernacovid19global.com/vial-lookup). That’s what I did to clarify and double-check mine. For my booster dose that came from a different brand, however, I had to search harder for it online. Thankfully, I found it on a Philippine FDA circular similar to this one (https://www.fda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/EUA-Astrazeneca-Fifth-Amendment-Batch-Specific-Shelf-Life-Extension-web.pdf).

If you really can’t understand what’s written on your card or you can’t find the records online, then you can try asking the clinic or LGU where you got vaccinated. They should have a record of the batch or lot number used on the day that you got it.

Complete steps on how to get your International Certificate of Vaccination (ICV):

1. Registration: icv.boq.ph
   • Register for an account at icv.boq.ph by clicking the “Sign Up” button. Enter your email.
   • Use the 6-digit PIN sent to your email to create an account. Add your preferred password and account information.
     
2. Add your personal information.
   • Login and go to “My Profile”. 
   • At the “My Info” tab, click “Update Profile Info” and add your personal details.
     
3. Upload scans/photos of your documents and add your ID information, vaccination information, and passport information.
   • At the “My Profile” section, go to the “My Files” tab.
   • Under “Government ID”, upload the scan or photo of your valid ID and add the relevant details: ID type, ID number, ID issue date.
   • Under “Vaccination Card/Certificate”, upload the scans or photo of the front and back of your vaccination cards. Add the important details, like the type of vaccine, date of vaccination, the Lot/Batch number, place of vaccination, etc. 
   • Under “Passport”, upload the scan or photo of your passport and add the relevant information: passport number, issued date, expiration date, and issuing office.
   • Note: You cannot skip this step as you need to upload your scans and photos before you can set an appointment.
4. Schedule appointment.
   • Go to “Certification Services” and choose the vaccine certificate that you need.
   • Choose your preferred BOQ location and pick your schedule from the calendar.
   • Double-check your personal information and all the documents you uploaded.
   • Proceed to confirmation and payment.
     
5. Payment.
   • Note: You need to pay to confirm your appointment.
   • Choose your payment method: Credit/Debit Card, Cash (at a partner location), eMoney (GCash, PayMaya, Cliqq).
   • Follow the instructions and pay for your appointment. If you missed the instructions or payment details, you should be able to see it on the “Notice” or “Transactions” tab.
   • Once you have paid, you can double-check the details on the “Transactions” tab. You should also receive the confirmation on the “Notice” tab right beside it.

6. Go to your scheduled appointment. Bring all your requirements.
   • Bring the original copies of your valid ID, passport, and vaccine cards/certificates.
   • Take note of the dress code: No open-toed shoes or slippers, no tank tops, no shorts, etc.
   • During your scheduled appointment, show the original copies of your passport and vaccine cards to the BOQ officer. 
   • Double-check all the info that they will print on your ICV or “vaccine passport” and confirm when ready.

7. Receive your International Certificate of Vaccination.

All in all, if all the details and scans of your documents are clear and correct, then it shouldn’t take long before you receive your ICV. In my family’s case, we waited for almost an hour in line because the people before us had errors in their documents. Once we got to the counter, however, the entire process was quite fast and the BOQ personnel gave us our ICVs in less than 15 minutes.

In any case, there you have it! That’s how you can get your international certificate of vaccination in the Philippines. I hope it helped, and see you again soon!

By the way, check out our travel blog here for more content: OneAdventurer.com