App-based digital certification provider, Certific, said the new initiative brings a "number of benefits" to travellers, including a "tightly regulated, cost-effective, private and more reliable" testing certificate ahead of a holiday.

Once a user has obtained a qualifying lateral flow home test kit from a UK approved manufacturer, they download the Certific app and upload a photo along with personal details to verifying their identity. 

Then, following a step-by-step guide, users take the test while the app records them. The video of the test, along with the result, is verified by Certific’s medically supervised test control officers.

If the test result is negative, a certificate valid for travel and a QR code is created in the app and also sent to the user’s email within four hours.

Those who report a positive result are given the recommended advice at the moment the test is complete, followed by an official report and support from a dedicated patient team. All results are automatically reported to Public Health England.

Home sample quality is judged against a professional scoring system using self-swab videos, cross-referenced against more than 25,000 samples analysed in a PCR lab.

Liis Narusk, co-founder and chief executive of Certific, said more than 25,000 people have used the app since the company launched their first service, an app-based Covid PCR test verification system, in February this year.

"We’re decentralising the testing experience for users, making it more akin to going to see your GP," she added.

"It means that money and time is saved on needing to create and maintain testing centres, along with the time and costs needed to staff them, and the cost to the user for our verification service is only £14.99, compared to other more expensive providers."