Last edit by: NewbieRunner
Mod note on thread engagement:
A reminder that this thread is about the self-isolation requirements for UK arrivals.
It is a help/Information resource for those travelling or returning to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from outside the UK. Let's concentrate on news, questions and answers that are relevant and on-topic and stay away from speculations about the spread of the virus, the performance of politicians and other topics which are more suitable for OMNI.
Please stay within these requirements to avoid issues.
A reminder that this thread is about the self-isolation requirements for UK arrivals.
It is a help/Information resource for those travelling or returning to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from outside the UK. Let's concentrate on news, questions and answers that are relevant and on-topic and stay away from speculations about the spread of the virus, the performance of politicians and other topics which are more suitable for OMNI.
Please stay within these requirements to avoid issues.
LATEST UPDATES
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-t...virus-covid-19
18 March travel to the UK changes
If you will arrive in the UK from abroad after 4am, Friday 18 March, you do not need to:
- take any COVID-19 tests – before you travel or after you arrive
- fill in a UK passenger locator form before you travel
This will apply whether you are vaccinated or not.
You also will not need to quarantine when you arrive, in line with current rules.
Other countries still have COVID-19 entry rules in place. You should check travel advice before you travel.
If you will arrive in England before 4am, 18 March, you must follow the current rules as set out in this guidance.
*****
The following historical information is retained for the time being.
The Passenger Locator Form for passengers arriving into the UK can be found here:
https://visas-immigration.service.go...r-locator-form
This can only be completed once you are within 48 hours of arrival in the UK.
Exemption list from quarantine requirements - specific details:
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...k-border-rules
England
Statutory instrument for individual passengers arriving in to England: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/582/contents (this html version is updated, but may not have the very latest updates for Statutory Instruments released in the last few days)
Test to release for England only from 15 December, see post 4776 https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/32841066-post4776.html
Statutory instrument for transport providers http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2.../contents/made
Scotland
Statutory instrument for individual passengers arriving in to Scotland: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2020/169/contents (this html version is updated)
Wales
Statutory instrument for individual passengers arriving in to Wales: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2020/574/contents (this html version is updated) &
Welsh language version: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2...0200574_we.pdf
Northern Ireland
Statutory instrument https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2021/99/contents (this html version is updated)
PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR QUICK RELEASE FROM SELF-ISOLATION (based on November 28th updates)
[This section has been moved lower down in the wiki post following the change in self-isolation rule on 7th January 2022[
Any PCR test noted as a UK Government Day 2 test will be accepted for release from self isolation as soon as you get the negative result. If it is any other PCR test (eg "Fit to Fly") and not advertised specifically as a Day 2 test then it won't be valid.
This means that you can:[list]
- Book a suitable Day 2 PCR test before you travel and use the booking reference for the test on the PLF (Passenger Locator Form).
- On your day of arrival go to your scheduled test.
- Proceed to you place of self-isolation and await the result, which will hopefully be same / next day.
Alternatively:- Book any Day 2 PCR test before you travel even if you do not intend to use this test, and use the booking reference for the test on the PLF to ensure entry to the UK.
- Note that you are not strictly required to have a PCR booking before arrival, but your carrier might not know that so you run the risk of being denied boarding
- On your day of arrival (or before end of Day 2) go to a walk-in test centre and take a different test to the one you booked.
- Proceed to you place of self-isolation and await the result, which will hopefully be same / next day.
If you are leaving the UK before the end of day 2 then you do not need to take a test, but are required to self-isolate for the duration of your trip (since you do not have a negative result). Also, if you are self-isolating while waiting for a result (and hence have not been informed of a positive result and need to isolate) you may travel to leave the country.
If you take a test and it is positive for any variant of COVID you will be required to isolate for 10 days from the date of the test.
Whether you take a test or not you may be contacted by the UK Test and Trace system at any time if it becomes apparent that you have been in contact with another case. This is very unlikely to happen before day 3 if it is in relation to your flight to UK. Depending on the suspected / identified variant for that case and if you are fully-vaccinated by an accepted programme (see below for links to what this means and valid exemptions) :- Omnicron or not fully-vaccinated: You will be required to isolated for 10 days, including a bar on travel to leave the country. A negative Day 2 test does not release you from this requirement.
- Other and fully vaccinated : You will not be required to isolate.
- Book any Day 2 PCR test before you travel even if you do not intend to use this test, and use the booking reference for the test on the PLF to ensure entry to the UK.
- Proceed to you place of self-isolation and await the result, which will hopefully be same / next day.
- On your day of arrival go to your scheduled test.
Test Providers for Day 2/8 tests & Day 5 Test to release
This section is for FTers to post their experience with specific providers (good or bad). Keep it brief and to the point. Please mention how the service is provided and your FT name.
DNA Workplace - Postal - Test kits arrived with me on time. Royal Mail slow for return. 5+ days for Day 2 result. #DaveS
DNA Workplace - Postal - Test kits both arrived on time, video of tests required, results by late evening Day 3 and Day 9. #TSE
ExpressTest Gatwick - Drive through - Tested early at 1000 a few times for TTR. Results came through in evening. #DaveS
NowTest - Postal - Day 2 kit arrived on time, day 8 did not. Will update with result arrival times when applicable. #wilsnunn
Collinson - Postal - Day 5 Test to Release kit arrived in time. Results and release by end of day 6. #tjcxx
CTM - Postal - Days 2/8 kits arrived together in time. Both sent results 2 days after posting. #tjcxx
Qured (Oncologica) - Postal -Day 2/8 kits arrived late. Results 3+ days from posting. #Gagravarr
Qured (Oncologica) - Postal - Day 2/8 kits arrived on time. Day 2 result on Day 5 and Day 8 result on Day 10 - happy customer! #EddLegll
Qured (Ocnologica) - Postal - Day 2/8 kits arrived on time. Day 2 result on Day 5 (after bedtime; ironically after my TTR result). #KSVVZ2015
Anglia DNA - Postal - Day 2/8 kits arrived early. (Both were labelled Day2). Results on Day 4 and Day 9. Cheapest on the list at the time, and good service/result. #tjcxx
Qured - Pre-flight test booked and bought through BA. Very efficient service. Highly recommended. #lhrsfo
Randox - Days 2 and 8. Booked two days before return, using BA discount. Kits already arrived on return. Slightly confusing instructions but manageable. Used Randox dropbox and results next day. Good. #lhrsfo
Randox - Day 2 (also used as pre departure test for a London to Milan flight). Used a drop box and results arrived at midnight the next day. #11101
Randox - Day 2 test centre - 2h30 queues outside the test centre in Waterloo. Results of antigen arrived 45 minutes later. #11101
Collinson - Test to Release at LHR T2. Good trip out! Very efficient service and well organised. Used BA discount. Results by end of day. Excellent. #lhrsfo
DAM - Test to Release in Fulham (they have many locations) - the cheapest fast turnaround TTR we have found. They promise 24 hours but in reality me, my wife, and my son (on different days) have received results inside of 12 hours. Very efficient staff as well. Princes outside of Central London as low as 99 GBP. Fulham is 129 GBP. #KSVVZ2015
Boots/Source Bioscience - days 2&8. Both packs sent in the same mail, waiting at the isolation address. Dropped off at postbox at 4pm, result back next day between 4 and 5 pm, very effective. Bought from Boots, £160, but same package sold directly bu Source Bioscience is just £120. Aaargh! Instructions said nasal and throat swabs, did only nasal and marked accordingly, no issues. #WilcoRoger
Collinsons/Stansted walkin TTR - test taken 1:30 pm, email with results 10:10 pm same day If the BA20OFF doesn't work (didn't work for us) there's another discount on the airport's site #WilcoRoger
Ordered Day-2 kit from Chronomics a week before our return for £18.99. Duly dispatched day we were returning to UK, so arrived on day following return. Reasonably simple process to do test and upload -ve result picture. Not sure where +ve result would have led to... #EsherFlyer
Hale Clinic testing centre (near Oxford Circus) - While not the least expensive, appoint schedules are accurate and results returned in promised timeframe. I've used the clinic for Day 2 tests (twice) and antigen test for US (once). I would def utilize again. #ecaarch
Halo at T5 (Sofitel) - Day 2 PCR spit test. Took the test 7pm, results arrived 7am the next day. No queues but a slightly awkward process to follow.
Useful data sources:
New cases per 100k - 7 days: https://covid19.who.int/table
New tests per 1000 - 7 days: https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus-testing
Vaccination doses per 100: https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations
Sequenced samples uploaded to GISAID: https://www.gisaid.org/index.php?id=208
NHS Track & Trace data (positivity rates for arriving passengers are published every three weeks, so if you can't find the data in the current release it will be in one of the previous two) https://www.gov.uk/government/collec...weekly-reports https://assets.publishing.service.go...ut_week_50.ods
UK daily COVID data https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/?_ga...827.1594116739
Risk assessment methodology to inform international travel traffic light system
Data informing international travel traffic-light risk assessments
Testing Terminology
Notes which may assist with understanding which tests to use and with "reuse" of UK tests for other countries regulations:
- LFT: Lateral Flow Test - A rapid antigen test using nasal / throat swab typically performed by the traveler at home, hotel, etc using simple disposable device. Usually tests the "outer shell" of the nucleus (which causes the symptoms and is reasonably stable across variants) and not the "spikes" (which allow new variants to invade more easily), so gives a positive result for many variants. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-...d_antigen_test)
- PCR: Polymerase Chain Reaction - A laboratory based test which looks at the nucleus of the virus to determine which specific variant it is. After a positive LFT test ("I have some form of COVID") a PCR test ("You have the Gamma variant") allows identification and tracking of new variants to see if they are likely to become a "variant of concern". (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction)
- NAAT: Nucleic Acid Amplification Test - A general class of laboratory based tests which includes PCR, LAMP, etc tests. (See https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...b/naats.html)
UK arrivals - pre-departure, quarantine and post-arrival [currently no requirements]
#2911
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: GLA
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 2,963
I’m sorry for the situation you find yourself in. As regards people from the U.K., well the government (in Scotland anyway, not sure about England) has been very clear on this. Asked about booking foreign holidays, the FM said repeatedly (and I paraphrase, because I don’t have the precise words) - you need to be aware that the situation in relation to any country can change very, very quickly. It may change whilst you are there, meaning you have to self-isolate on return; that country’s approach to visitors may change, meaning you have to quarantine on arrival. You’re all adults and can decide whether you want to take that risk or not, but I am not going to let it be said that I didn’t tell you there was a real risk of it happening. If you’re asking me, as a private citizen, if I would book a foreign holiday at the moment, then no, I would not.
#2912
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,541
Another issue of U.K. data credibility reported by the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-england-tally
Summary: Government quietly drops 1.3 million tests from the England data due to apparent double counting. In effect England has lowered the number of “tests made available” by 10% as well as found a discrepancy in the number of pillar 2 tests carried out. The issue was raised in early July but figures only corrected now.
in separate news, also to note that France is imposing reciprocal quarantine measures to people arriving from the U.K. (I expect this to still be the voluntary quarantine).
Summary: Government quietly drops 1.3 million tests from the England data due to apparent double counting. In effect England has lowered the number of “tests made available” by 10% as well as found a discrepancy in the number of pillar 2 tests carried out. The issue was raised in early July but figures only corrected now.
in separate news, also to note that France is imposing reciprocal quarantine measures to people arriving from the U.K. (I expect this to still be the voluntary quarantine).
Last edited by orbitmic; Aug 14, 2020 at 12:33 am
#2913
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
Another issue of U.K. data credibility reported by the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-england-tally
Summary: Government quietly drops 1.3 million tests from the England data due to apparent double counting. In effect England has lowered the number of “tests made available” by 10% as well as found a discrepancy in the number of pillar 2 tests carried out. The issue was raised in early July but figures only corrected now.
Summary: Government quietly drops 1.3 million tests from the England data due to apparent double counting. In effect England has lowered the number of “tests made available” by 10% as well as found a discrepancy in the number of pillar 2 tests carried out. The issue was raised in early July but figures only corrected now.
#2914
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: Top Tier with all 3 alliances
Posts: 11,669
I think any measures of 2-weeks quarantine and/or testing upon return from vacations abroad make sense. The data from Greece are, even for internal vacationers, the trend is that those coming back from the islands to the big cities are driving the infections up. Vacations often mean partying, drinking, irresponsible and careless behavior, younger crowds, etc, all major drivers of the spread. The last two weeks of August, end of summer essentially, will make things worse, as the infected will return home and spread the disease. It happens everywhere for domestic and international tourism in many countries, I believe. The whole thing of summer re-opening in Europe was an ill-conceived unfolding disaster...
#2915
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 133
I’m sorry for the situation you find yourself in. As regards people from the U.K., well the government (in Scotland anyway, not sure about England) has been very clear on this. Asked about booking foreign holidays, the FM said repeatedly (and I paraphrase, because I don’t have the precise words) - you need to be aware that the situation in relation to any country can change very, very quickly. It may change whilst you are there, meaning you have to self-isolate on return; that country’s approach to visitors may change, meaning you have to quarantine on arrival. You’re all adults and can decide whether you want to take that risk or not, but I am not going to let it be said that I didn’t tell you there was a real risk of it happening. If you’re asking me, as a private citizen, if I would book a foreign holiday at the moment, then no, I would not.
I'm struggling to find numbers of British people who are currently abroad, beyond broad unquantifiable statements such as today (Source BBC):
At a campsite near EuroDisney, just outside Paris, the number of Brits has dropped by more than two-thirds this year
Edit: 160,000 currently in France. So very few (Source: Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary)
Norway recently changed the colour code of all 'Green' countries to 'Yellow', to reinforce the fact that restrictions can come at any moment and there is no country without risk of status change. Perhaps it's something other countries should consider to highlight that risk. Unfortunately, a lot of people aren't as interested as we are and therefore fail to correctly educate themselves of the risks. People should travel if they want to, but I think the FMs approach is wise. I'm not sure I've seen anything quite as clear from HMG and thus England... I mean the Transport Secretary himself was only just in Spain!
As a side - Does anyone have the UK testing number/Positive tests from yesterday (13th August?) The data on UK.Gov isn't showing. I've been building some models as a bit of fun to try and predict/compare.
Last edited by Sailbot3310; Aug 14, 2020 at 1:45 am Reason: Shapps confirmed 160,000 UK in France
#2916
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,541
I think any measures of 2-weeks quarantine and/or testing upon return from vacations abroad make sense. The data from Greece are, even for internal vacationers, the trend is that those coming back from the islands to the big cities are driving the infections up. Vacations often mean partying, drinking, irresponsible and careless behavior, younger crowds, etc, all major drivers of the spread. The last two weeks of August, end of summer essentially, will make things worse, as the infected will return home and spread the disease. It happens everywhere for domestic and international tourism in many countries, I believe. The whole thing of summer re-opening in Europe was an ill-conceived unfolding disaster...
Last edited by orbitmic; Aug 14, 2020 at 1:46 am
#2917
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,827
Later today, there was considerable disruption in the relevant department trying to sort out 5 methodology changes in the same week.
#2918
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 232
Have we got to the bottom of what the point of this Quarentine was or is?
Twice now, we've seen large groups of people who have booked holidays in good faith, shafted on their return.
Is it simply to scare us in to not travelling, for fear that even if we went to a "safe" country we'll be quarantined on return if they feel like it!?
Twice now, we've seen large groups of people who have booked holidays in good faith, shafted on their return.
Is it simply to scare us in to not travelling, for fear that even if we went to a "safe" country we'll be quarantined on return if they feel like it!?
#2919
Join Date: Jul 2018
Programs: Aadvantage platinum; IHG Spire
Posts: 546
Another issue of U.K. data credibility reported by the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-england-tally
Summary: Government quietly drops 1.3 million tests from the England data due to apparent double counting. In effect England has lowered the number of “tests made available” by 10% as well as found a discrepancy in the number of pillar 2 tests carried out. The issue was raised in early July but figures only corrected now.
in separate news, also to note that France is imposing reciprocal quarantine measures to people arriving from the U.K. (I expect this to still be the voluntary quarantine).
Summary: Government quietly drops 1.3 million tests from the England data due to apparent double counting. In effect England has lowered the number of “tests made available” by 10% as well as found a discrepancy in the number of pillar 2 tests carried out. The issue was raised in early July but figures only corrected now.
in separate news, also to note that France is imposing reciprocal quarantine measures to people arriving from the U.K. (I expect this to still be the voluntary quarantine).
#2920
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,618
Have we got to the bottom of what the point of this Quarentine was or is?
Twice now, we've seen large groups of people who have booked holidays in good faith, shafted on their return.
Is it simply to scare us in to not travelling, for fear that even if we went to a "safe" country we'll be quarantined on return if they feel like it!?
Twice now, we've seen large groups of people who have booked holidays in good faith, shafted on their return.
Is it simply to scare us in to not travelling, for fear that even if we went to a "safe" country we'll be quarantined on return if they feel like it!?
The people being "shafted" knew the risks. I have no sympathy whatsoever.
#2921
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,478
Have we got to the bottom of what the point of this Quarentine was or is?
Twice now, we've seen large groups of people who have booked holidays in good faith, shafted on their return.
Is it simply to scare us in to not travelling, for fear that even if we went to a "safe" country we'll be quarantined on return if they feel like it!?
Twice now, we've seen large groups of people who have booked holidays in good faith, shafted on their return.
Is it simply to scare us in to not travelling, for fear that even if we went to a "safe" country we'll be quarantined on return if they feel like it!?
To be fair to the government, on this occasion the figures certainly don't lie here, and when you look at the reasoning for the removal of all of the affected countries it is very clear and based solely on those figures. France, which was the best of them, had a 66% rise in cases over the course of a week with an already highish base - that clearly suggests a loss of control.
Where I do have a bit more sympathy with travellers is that initially the government planned to designate countries as red, amber or green. Apparently that was too complicated for our poor brains to understand, which I greet with a degree of astonishment, but it would have helped people make more informed decisions as opposed to trying to trawl through mountains of data and still potentially draw the wrong conclusion because it's not necessarily the whole story (as in, testing regimes and track/trace capability may also be factors).
The traffic light system would have given people early warning and allowed a more orderly, informed return to the UK, but as it is France has gone from being safe to red at effectively a couple of days' notice - the Spads having only briefed the newspapers just a day before the formal announcement.
#2922
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,564
I for one am half-expecting a follow-up DNA/RNA analysis at some point that identifies a substantial proportion of Belgium, Spain, France et al's Covid spikes as having been imported from the UK after the end of June when we all were let loose to go swanning around Europe despite new case infections in the UK still being rather high relative to most of the mainland.
Your choice of the word 'lax' is absolutely an implicit judgement that the UK policy is wrong, the definition of lax is that something is wrong by virtue of being insufficiently strict!
Moreover, your previous statement that "UK is still the only country that let(s) anyone enter" is just demonstrably incorrect. Off the top of my head, countries with that policy include Turkey and Serbia. However, I fundamentally disagree that the UK policy of air bridges and quarantines is the same as having absolutely no restrictions.
Perhaps we should agree to disagree before we derail what is meant to be a factual thread further.
Moreover, your previous statement that "UK is still the only country that let(s) anyone enter" is just demonstrably incorrect. Off the top of my head, countries with that policy include Turkey and Serbia. However, I fundamentally disagree that the UK policy of air bridges and quarantines is the same as having absolutely no restrictions.
Perhaps we should agree to disagree before we derail what is meant to be a factual thread further.
But I agree that we disagree on British laxity. There might a couple of less-developed countries dying to attract tourists at all costs, but these are exceptions compared to most developed countries restricting entry to foreign tourists from a wide list of high-risk countries (or all of them).
#2923
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
I agree, if you go out you know the risks: there's little point in moaning, however bad the sting hurts (and I'm one of those being stung). But I'd love to see the UK government following the same way of thinking for enforcing social distancing and mask wearing at home. Fines, checks and so on.
#2924
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bregenz, Austria
Programs: AA, BAEC, Alaska, Flying Blue, United, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 2,950
This means that there is now no viable route to the UK by car from the continent.
#2925
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,827
Here are today's figures, I have shuffled them around and marked the newly recategorised countries as red, though the restrictions only come into force tomorrow (Saturday). The UK figure is yesteday's number for the moment.