Shanghai residents who need to travel abroad for personal reasons will be able to make appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations starting from Thursday, the municipal government announced on Wednesday.

Permanent Shanghai residents who are scheduled to travel abroad for study or work before the upcoming Spring Festival, which falls on Feb 12, can make appointments through the "Healthy Cloud" app. Expatriates are not eligible for the vaccinations.

There are currently 17 community health centers across the city where residents can receive their vaccinations. Residents must present their ID cards or passports, valid visas and flight tickets before they can be vaccinated.

The government has highlighted that people aged between 18 and 59 are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. The vaccination involves two shots, administered 14 days apart.

The COVID-19 vaccines are provided to citizens for free.