Nigeria: Govt relaxes policy regarding yellow cards for passengers

The federal government has relaxed the policy regarding yellow cards for passengers traveling into the country to have their International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP), known as a yellow card, according to a news report by This Day.

The government has directed airlines to allow travelers who even do not have the cards and be vaccinated on arrival.

The federal government has taken this decision because many inbound passengers without the travel document were barred from boarding flights to Nigeria.

In a circular issued to this effect by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday with Reference Number: NCAA/DG/AMS/74/VOL.111/65 and signed by the General Manager, Aeromedical Standards, Dr. WT Haggai on behalf of the director-general, the agency said that passengers coming to Nigeria without documented proof of vaccination, which is the yellow card, should be allowed to board the flight but be "advised they will be vaccinated accordingly at points of entry."

NCAA said that in the absence of a Yellow Card, the international travelers must present themselves for vaccination against yellow fever once they land down Nigeria.

The electronic Yellow Card is also known as the e-Yellow Card which is a certificate of vaccination to show that travelers have been immunized against yellow fever.

According to the NCAA, the World Health Organisation recommends vaccination against yellow fever for all international travelers aged nine months to 60 years entering or exiting Nigeria.