Vaccine Certificate QR Codes Are Here & Ontario Has Answered All Your Burning Questions

Ontario's long-awaited enhanced vaccine certificates with easy-to-scan QR codes are here, and the Ontario government took the liberty of answering a few questions the public might have.

So if you're desperately looking for how to download your new certificate, or if you can still use your old receipt, look no further.

How do I download my enhanced vaccine certificate?

To download your enhanced vaccine certificate, you can go to the provincial booking portal and enter your green photo health card information.

You can then either save the QR code to your phone or print it out to show at establishments that require proof of vaccination.

You can also call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.

How do I use the QR code?

When heading to an establishment that requires proof of vaccination, such as indoor dining, cinemas, gyms and more, you will have to present your code to the staff.

The QR code can either be saved on your phone or printed.

You will also need to show a piece of government ID that has the same name and birthdate as the proof of vaccination.*

Can I still use my old receipt?

If you haven't had a chance to download the new QR code but still want to hit the town, no worries.

You can still use your current vaccine receipt, but it will no longer be available to download on the portal. So if you accidentally delete it off of your phone or lose your paper copy, you'll have to download the newest version.

What if I didn't get my vaccines in Ontario?

If you received one or both of your doses outside of Ontario, you can contact your local public health unit and they will be able to record your information and give you access to an Ontario receipt through the provincial booking portal.

What about medical exemptions?

Medical exemptions haven't been incorporated into the QR code or new vaccine certificates yet, so you'll still need to show a medical note from a doctor or registered nurse to prove your medical exemption.

However, the Ontario government does say that "work is underway to integrate medical and clinical trial exceptions into vaccine certificates with QR codes."

What if I don't have a green photo health card?

If you have a red and white card or a COVID ID, you can contact the PVCC at 1-833-943-3900, and a call centre agent will be able to email you a secure URL where you can access your vaccine certificate.

If you don't have an Ontario health card or a COVID ID, you can contact public health, and they can verify your identity and assign you a COVID ID. From there, you can call PVCC and have a secure URL emailed to you where you can access your vaccine certificate.

*This article has been updated.