To ensure safety from COVID-19, the Union Health Ministry has taken a decision to allow foreign nationals residing in India to register on CoWin portal and get vaccinated against the disease.

They can use their passport as identity document for the purpose of registration on CoWIN portal, the health ministry said in a statement.

Once they are registered on this portal, they will get a slot for vaccination.

According to the statement, a significant number of foreign nationals are living in India, especially in large metropolitan areas. In these areas, the potential of spread of COVID-19 is high due to higher population density. To counter any possibility of such occurrence, it is important to vaccinate all eligible persons.

"In a landmark initiative to ensure safety from COVID-19, the Ministry of Health has taken a decision to allow foreign nationals residing in India to get registered on CoWin portal to take COVID-19 vaccine.

"This initiative will ensure the safety of foreign nationals residing in India. It will also bring down the possibilities of further transfer of infection from unvaccinated persons residing in India. It will also ensure overall safety from further transmission of coronavirus," the ministry said in the statement.

The national COVID-19 vaccination programme is being implemented across all states and union territories since January 16, 2021.

The vaccination programme in its current phase covers all citizens aged 18 years and above. As on August 9, 2021, India has administered more than 51 crore vaccine doses across the country.