COVID-19 Recovery Certificate

A COVID-19 Recovery Certificate is evidence that you have recently recovered from COVID-19. You may use this to travel to a particular destination or attend a certain event, instead of taking a COVID-19 test. You can show your digital certificate on your device or show a printed copy, when asked for this.

If you are still testing positive for COVID-19 despite having fully recovered and no longer being infectious, you may be able to use a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate for the activities we’ve outlined further below.

Choose a certificate and order now:

• Express certificate

You will get this within 4 hours when you order Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm, or Saturday and Sunday between 9am and 1pm. Express certificates ordered outside these hours will be sent by 11am the following day.

• Standard certificate

We aim to send this to you within 24 hours.

Please note, times are based on the doctor having all the necessary information from you to review and approve your order. If your approved express certificate doesn't reach you within the times stated, we will refund you the difference between this and a standard certificate price.

See more about verifying your certificate, below (‘How can I prove that my certificate is authentic?’).

You can use a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate in any situation that requires you to show proof that you have recently recovered from COVID-19 (and therefore pose no risk to others), namely to:

• travel
• attend an event
• return to work

However, you must check with the relevant airline, destination or border control, venue etc. that they accept a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate, before applying for one or making plans. It is entirely their discretion if they accept this or not.

Also, check that you are eligible for a certificate before you apply. Continue reading to learn more.

You can get your proof of recovery certificate quickly and easily with ZAVA. All you have to do is complete a short questionnaire and provide evidence of a recent positive COVID-19 test result. Our doctors will then review this.

Once approved, we send express certificates within 4 hours (if you order Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm, or Saturday and Sunday between 9am and 1pm). Otherwise, you should get this by 11am the following day. We aim to send standard certificates within 24 hours of you placing your order.

All certificates are sent by email. Please note, delays can occur if the doctor requires additional information from you. Check our guidelines around eligibility and what information we need from you (including which COVID-19 tests we accept) before you order.

You can get a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate if you had a positive COVID-19 test result between the last 11 and 180 days. You must be free of symptoms for 72 hours before applying, too.

You will need a ZAVA patient account to apply for your certificate through us.

Yes. A parent or legal guardian can order a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate for children of any age, where needed. You will need to place a separate order for each certificate required.

Your COVID-19 Recovery Certificate will confirm that you have recovered from COVID-19. It will also say that you are unlikely to be infectious to others and that you are fit to travel (with respect to COVID-19 only).

The certificate displays the following information:

• your name
• date of birth
• passport number
• date that you were assessed for the COVID-19 Recovery Certificate
• confirmation that you have recovered from a COVID-19 infection that began over 11 days before your assessment
• confirmation that you have provided evidence of a positive COVID-19 test taken on your test date
• start and end date of your COVID-19 symptoms (if relevant)
• confirmation that you have not experienced any active COVID-19 symptoms within the past 72 hours
• confirmation that you do not need to self isolate

This is based on the information you provide us, in our questionnaire.

Certificates issued after 22 February 2022 have a reference number too. This is the same as your order ID. You get this when you order your certificate.

Our COVID-19 Recovery Certificate is the same as a 'COVID Certificate' or a 'Proof of Recovery' (or 'Recovery Letter', as it’s sometimes referred to).

Each of these is an official document or proof that you had COVID-19 (in the last 3 to 6 months), but are unlikely to have it now, because you have natural protection from your antibodies following infection.

Yes. In fact, this is a popular benefit of a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate.

You can still test positive for weeks or even months after recovering from COVID-19. This can prevent you from activities that require a negative test result.

As part of the recovery certificate process, you undergo a medical evaluation to show that you have recovered and no longer present a risk of infecting others. This can be completed 100% online, via our questionnaire. One of our doctors will review your details.

11 January update: we are temporarily accepting positive lateral flow tests as proof of a recent COVID-19 result, in addition to PCR/RT-PCR tests. You need to report your lateral flow result via the government website and have a notification from NHS Track and Trace confirming your result.

To get your ZAVA COVID-19 Recovery Certificate, you will need proof of a positive PCR or RT-PCR test.

This can be:

• a notification in your ZAVA account, if you ordered your test from us
• a certificate from another private provider
• a photograph or screenshot of an NHS email confirming your positive result

This must clearly show your result, the date the sample was taken (i.e. the date you took your test), and have personal identifiers so we can confirm who the result belongs to.

You can apply for a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate 11 full days after testing positive or showing symptoms. You must be free of symptoms for 72 hours before applying, too.

You can order this up to 180 days after testing positive (not counting the last 11 days).

Example: to be safe and avoid any problems ordering your certificate, if you test positive on 10 January, wait until 22 January to order.

Always check the travel guidelines set by your destination before you travel, including their policy on recovery certificates.

We can provide you with a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate between 11 and 180 days after a positive COVID-19 test result or experiencing symptoms. Your certificate will not be valid beyond 180 days after your last positive COVID-19 test.

See our order turnaround times, above.

You will not be able to get a recovery certificate if you:

• have not fully recovered from COVID-19
• are unable to produce evidence of a positive test result within the last 180 days
• have been advised to shield at home due to being medically vulnerable

You can pull up your digital certificate on your device after we email this to you. You can also print your certificate so you have a physical copy to hand, if you wish. This might be useful if you’re worried about your device battery running low or if you’re in an area with poor Wifi.

If you are completing an online form which requires proof of COVID-19 recovery (for example, you are booking a flight or a ticket to an event), simply upload your certificate from your device.

If you are not eligible

We can refund your COVID-19 Recovery Certificate if our doctor reviews your order and finds that you are not eligible for one. If this happens, we will cancel your order and refund you in full (note, this can take 2 to 3 working days to process).

To avoid problems, please carefully check the information here to understand if you are eligible, and provide the necessary evidence when you order.

If your certificate is not accepted

We may be able to refund your certificate if you discover that a recovery certificate is not accepted for the purpose you need it, shortly after placing your order. Please contact our Customer Support team immediately from your patient account, if this happens. We may be able to offer you a full refund if your certificate has not been created yet (if we can, this will take 2 to 3 working days to process).

However, we cannot offer a refund once your recovery certificate has been created. It is your responsibility to check the latest guidelines set out by your airline, destination, border control, venue etc., to ensure a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate complies with these and is accepted, before ordering.

Yes, you can travel after recovering from COVID-19.

As a general rule, you should always check your destination’s travel guidance before booking a trip, and keep up to date with this before you travel in case things change. This includes if your destination accepts a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate instead of a travel test, for instance.

Yes, you can travel with a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate if the destination you plan to visit accepts this as part of their travel guidelines and entry requirements.

Keep in mind that this guidance is regularly changing. If regulations change before you travel and your certificate is no longer accepted, you may need to follow additional steps or guidance.

Our COVID-19 Recovery Certificate has a QR code in the top right hand corner (as of 22 February 2022). Border agents, airline staff, and other authorities can verify its authenticity with this. They can also learn more about our COVID-19 Recovery Certificate. This way, you can use your certificate confidently.

Simply scan the QR code on your certificate with a phone or tablet device. You will be taken to a special authentication page. This QR code is not an EU COVID Pass QR code. EU Digital COVID Pass Readers cannot read this code.

Certificates issued before 22 February 2022 are still valid. You can use your certificate even if it doesn’t have a QR code.

If you have any queries about your certificate, contact our Customer Support team. Send us a message through your patient account. You can also call on 020 3588 0292 (8am to 7pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday, and 10am to 4pm Sunday), or email covidtraveltesting@zavamed.com. Non ZAVA patients (i.e. authorities and other 3rd parties) can do the same.

Your COVID-19 certificate will only be valid if it fits the entry criteria of your travel destination (or event etc.).

If you are travelling to a country that accepts COVID-19 recovery for up to 90 days, your certificate may be valid for you to travel to that country as long as you are travelling within 90 days of testing positive.

Similarly, if you are travelling to a country that accepts COVID-19 recovery for up to 180 days, your certificate will only be valid for you to travel there within 180 days of testing positive.

Each country has different COVID-19 entry requirements. You can check the latest travel guidelines by destination to see which countries accept recovery certificates.

Each European country has its own COVID-19 entry requirements, so you will need to check if your destination accepts a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate before you travel.

Please note that ZAVA recovery certificates issued after 22 February 2022 feature a QR code to help verify it. Simply scan this code with your phone or tablet device. This is not an EU COVID Pass QR code. All certificates issued before this date (without this code) are valid. They can be used to travel provided your destination accepts recovery certificates.

If you plan to travel within the EU, you may want to consider applying for a European Union Recovery Certificate instead.

Yes. As of December 2021, COVID-19 Recovery Certificates were valid in the USA for 90 days. However, entry requirements are regularly updated, so it is your responsibility to check these before you travel.

See the current travel requirements for the USA, on the UK government’s website.

Because of the changing entry requirements in each country in response to COVID-19 updates, some airlines may not accept your COVID-19 Recovery Certificate for travel. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the airline you plan to travel with to see if they accept this, before booking your trip and travelling.

Studies have shown that past COVID-19 infection gives some immunity for at least 5 months. However, people may still carry and spread the virus.

Each destination or country has its own guidelines about acquired immunity following COVID-19 recovery. These validity periods can change and vary, so we advise that you check this before travelling or ordering your certificate.

Some people test positive for COVID-19 weeks or even months following infection, but this does not mean they still have the virus.

If you need a negative COVID-19 test result to travel, this can be a concern. We can provide you with a COVID-19 Recovery Certificate as evidence that you no longer have the virus and pose no risk to others, so you can travel.