apple wallet vaccine ontario

Here's how to save your Ontario vaccine passport to Apple Wallet

Trying to figure out how to add your Ontario vaccine passport (sorry — your "enhanced vaccine certificate with QR code") to Apple Wallet?

According to the provincial government, it's as easy as scanning a QR code with your iPhone and pressing a few buttons. This isn't true for all users, however — only for those who've already updated their device to the iOS 15.1 operating system.

Now that we have that out of the way and you've been spared some serious frustration, you really can just scan the QR code on your government-issued COVID-19 vaccine receipt to get it in your handy Apple Wallet (again — if you're running the brand new iOS 15.1.)

"Individuals who use an Apple mobile device can now choose to add their enhanced vaccine certificate with official QR code directly to their Apple Wallet," announced the province in a press release issued Friday.

"This feature is available with iOS 15.1, Apple's newest operating system for iPhones that launched this week, and provides users with a convenient way to access and display their proof of vaccination from their device."

Because you'll be using your phone, you first need to bring up the QR code on a computer desktop or print out the certificate so that you can scan it with your mobile device.

From there, all you do is:

  • Open the iPhone camera.
  • Point the camera at the QR code. Once the QR code is in focus and centred on the phone screen, the phone will scan it automatically.
  • Once the phone scans the code, users will be prompted to save it to Apple Wallet and Apple Health.

No need to re-download your enhanced vaccine certificate; if you have the QR code, Apple will pull the right information into your wallet. Anyone who has not yet already downloaded their certificate with an official QR code can do so at any time from the Ministry of Health's website.

"This is one of the many ways Ontarians can store and easily access a copy of their proof of vaccination on their mobile device for verification purposes," reads today's press release from the province.

"Businesses must accept both electronic and paper versions of the enhanced vaccine certificate with official QR code. Ontarians will need to continue to show a piece of identification with their name and date of birth along with their proof of vaccination when visiting select businesses and organizations."

Unfortunately for Android users, this feature is not available with Google Pay. You can, however, can save their vaccine certificate to your phone as a file and display that when entering an establishment that requires proof of vaccination.

Officials have assured that the vaccine passport program won't last forever, but we will have to keep displaying these receipts at bars, restaurants, cinemas, gyms and other indoor environments considered high risk well into 2022.

Adding your vaxpass to Apple Wallet could certainly make the process easier while whipping out proof is still necessary.

Lead photo by

Nathan Dumlao


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