fishz

Just arrived in JNB / ORT on LH originating in London. Business class check in at LHR did not request sight of the Covid test result. Seemed a pretty normal check-in with both boarding passes issued. Transfer and boarding in FRA was seamless and again, no check on Covid (or travel insurance) paperwork. SA port authority forms distributed on the flight (unlike BA last month) and collected at passport control. The Covid test result was checked before the queueing for passport control. I was kind of hoping they'd quietly ditched the requirement but that's not the case... yet.

Waiting on a domestic Comair/BA flight now. BA "Slow" lounge is open. Very happy that BA are operating here again.

lots@LHR

Sorry to ask something but the RSA website I think only talks about masks exemption for under 2’s. Timatic when I put my details in asks for a PCR test, but using my children, does not. Do we agree under 5s or under 6s don’t need a PCR to visit RSA?

flying LHR to CPT. Staying for 90 nights.

konagirl2

lots@LHR
This is the latest gazette in relation to travel: 3 December Gazette. Of course be aware it may change again before you travel. See Directive 5, paragraph 2. 2(f) clearly gives the exemption from wearing a mask for under 5-year-olds. 2(p) states "a child or a person with disabilities may be exempted from COVID-19 testing if testing will prove to be a challenge: Provided that Operators must consult local public health authorities to confirm the requirement prior to departure" I have no idea how that would work in practice.

Davesa

This is the guidance from my KLM Booking departing next week. It seems the SA authorities now have a plan for dealing with delayed departures/cancellations or missed connections etc. You must still have a printed copy of the PCR test upon arrival. If it is older than 72 hours at inspection you will be required to undergo a test on arrival (assume a rapid test?) at a cost of R600. The Gazette also confirms that under 5's are now exempt from masks when travelling. Personally though as I've already booked and paid for my 4 year olds test I'm going to get him tested in case of any problems along the route with officials not understanding the ever changing rules!

Passengers travelling to South Africa will be refused entry if they do not hold a printed medical certificate of a negative Covid-19 PCR test result. If the result is not obtained within 72 hours prior to the day of departure, from the date of examination, passengers will be required to undergo testing on arrival at their own expense at a cost of 600 rand.This does not apply to:

1. crew members;
2. children aged 5 years and under with no symptoms; or
3. passengers with disabilities, provided holding confirmation from the local health authorities.

Passengers will be subject to screening on arrival and those presenting symptoms of Covid-19 must quarantine until a repeat test is conducted. The quarantine and test will be at the passenger's own cost.

konagirl2

Found it! This is also an amendment Gazette published on 3 December. In the substitution of paragraph 17, 5. 3(b) has exemptions 5. 8:children below the age of 5 are exempt from the negative covid-19 test. https://www.gov.za/sites/default/fil...954gon1278.pdf

EvilDoctorK

Interesting... I'm doing this next week ( well BHX-FRA-JNB so close enough ) .. was immigration at JNB quick enough ? .. seems like the LH flight arrives more or less on its own so hopefully won't be bad as sitting upstairs so should be off fast enough

EvilDoctorK

I'm operating on this assumption too .. will be getting my 6yo tested along with us, but not the 3yo .. https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/world.php clearly says no requirement for test if under 5 years old.

stuarto

Hi, been trying to find some definitive info on quarantine periods or covid testing on arrival from CPT in 10 days time, we transfer from lhr to abz and concerned this maybe an issue without a covid test on arrival in UK.
I have to complete a UK passenger locater form 48 hours before departure but not sure any conditions that may prevent my transfer to abz..
We're looking at getting a local covid test in cpt but not sure if that will suffice at UK end, has anyone come back in recently and experienced complications on arrival??
Cheers.

konagirl2

The UK Government and devolved Governments do not accept negative covid tests on arrival at this time. You fill in the passenger locator form and are allowed to transit, directly, from entry at LHR to your place of self-isolation, presumably near Aberdeen. So you are allowed to take a transfer flight to ABZ and drive from their to your accommodation. You are allowed to stay overnight at a secure location (like a hotel you have told you are self isolating) if needed to get to your place of self-isolation, i.e. if your flight to ABZ was the next day or you can't drive from ABZ to your home/accommodation on the same day. In that case you fill out both locations on the form. You should go directly to your accommodation ad not use any public spaces and not go shopping on the way. https://www.gov.scot/publications/co...ks-at-borders/

The 'Test to Release' scheme that begins on 15 December 2020 does not apply to Scotland, only England. So you need to self-isolate for the full 14 days after arrival, or until your direct travel back to an airport from which you leave the UK.

stuarto

Mmm. I was hoping the test to release was going to be UK wide .. but thanks for the info ,I'll keep hoping that things progress in a positive manner .

NewbieRunner

Check this thread in Coronavirus and Travel forum for up-to-date information on self-isolation/quarantine for arrivals in the UK.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/coro...-arrivals.html

fishz

Immigration for SA nationals was VERY quick. Perhaps 100-150 people in the foreign queue but I think it was moving. Another flight had arrived at the same time and it appeared that they all needed to complete the port authority forms so it seemed crowded before the actual queue.

In general, ORT has seemed very quiet the last few times I've traveled but the domestic side was noticeably busier yesterday. Perhaps a return to normality, but the numbers are creeping up here.

pianoamit

Quick question for the hive mind:
We're flying LHR-MAD-DOH-JNB on Sunday morning (don't ask why, it just worked out that way). I have a couple of small questions:
1. Does anyone have a link to the Gazette information about the procedure @Davesa described with relation to delays, missed connections, etc.?
2. Does anyone know definitively what the SA Govt means by 'departure from origin'? Is it the DOH-JNB leg departure, or the MAD-DOH departure (where the ticket starts), or LHR-MAD departure which is our country of origin...?

Steve_ZA

Ignoring the government requirements for a moment, Qatar (assuming they are still checking) will only accept you onto the flight at MAD if you have a test within 72 hours of that departure.

pianoamit

Oh - I'll definitely have that... I'm more concerned with what happens if there's a delay in DOH, and then my test is no longer valid.