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]
#4621
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: Bonvoy Titanium, Hilton Diamond, United Gold, Pualani Gold
Posts: 69
Happy Monday everyone, here is the data for today. Again not so much bad news, other than the USA going over the 400 mark. Elsewhere a number of countries seem to be flattening out somewhat, including the UK. Later this week we can anticipate Greece leaving the travel corridor list, at which point it is difficult to see the point of this chart, other than to track progress. Off the list, countries like Ireland and Iceland are seeing reductions in their stats, 168 and 176 respectively, they were above 300 not so long ago. There are some countries that could perhaps be added to the travel corridor list, notably Jamaica (27).
#4622
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
The briefing at 5 wasn't about travel but, rather, the vaccine. So the 'Task Force' hasn't completed its work yet.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54879676
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54879676
#4623
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
The briefing at 5 wasn't about travel but, rather, the vaccine. So the 'Task Force' hasn't completed its work yet.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54879676
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54879676
#4624
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: 63,836
Here is the data for Tuesday, with just Sweden not giving an update. It is a similar pattern to previous days, with some countries still showing sharp rises and other countries keeping a lid on these rises. The figures for France probably need a few more days before we can see what is going on, they have recalculated some historical data and though the 14 day span usually helps to smooth small spikes, the data spike here was rather large.
#4625
Join Date: May 2013
Location: South Texas
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Glob, AA EXP, Marriott Tit
Posts: 277
US citizen entering UK during lockdown 2.0
I am a US citizen with US passport ticketed to fly USA-LHR-USA later in November. At the moment my flights are still scheduled but I am hoping for a cancellation/refund. I have ~48 hours between arrival and departure and have booked 2 nights at one of the airport hotels. I phoned the hotel and they will accept me for 2 nights since I have a ticket to travel home. A note was made in my booking reflecting this so I feel confident about the hotel stay. I will complete the Passenger Locator Form within 48 hours of arrival and I am aware that I need to quarantine. My question is will I have a problem entering the UK? I don't believe US citizens are banned from entering the UK. I am aware of lockdown 2.0 but I don't know if rules related to this could impact my ability to enter and exit the UK.
#4626
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Krakow
Programs: BAEC Silver, Miles and More(FTL), IHG(Platinum), Accor, HHonors(Diamond), SPG, Hertz Five Star
Posts: 5,930
I am a US citizen with US passport ticketed to fly USA-LHR-USA later in November. At the moment my flights are still scheduled but I am hoping for a cancellation/refund. I have ~48 hours between arrival and departure and have booked 2 nights at one of the airport hotels. I phoned the hotel and they will accept me for 2 nights since I have a ticket to travel home. A note was made in my booking reflecting this so I feel confident about the hotel stay. I will complete the Passenger Locator Form within 48 hours of arrival and I am aware that I need to quarantine. My question is will I have a problem entering the UK? I don't believe US citizens are banned from entering the UK. I am aware of lockdown 2.0 but I don't know if rules related to this could impact my ability to enter and exit the UK.
#4627
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Accor Live Limitless Gold, Hilton Honours Gold, Avis Preferred Plus
Posts: 1,807
Although it has been suggested that there may be increased scrutiny of the PLF and you may be asked to explain why you are planning on coming to the UK for just 48 hours and spending that in a hotel given that hotels are meant to be used for work purposes etc at the moment.
#4628
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,553
In good news, things are looking great in Iceland. Maybe one of the few that might regain its corridor soon...
(Mainland?) Greece certain to lose it this week.
(Mainland?) Greece certain to lose it this week.
#4629
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: SNA
Posts: 18,240
I am going ahead and booking my kid LHR-LAX for Christmas at home and assuming her quarantine will be ~7 days on her return to London. If it turns out not to be so, we will scramble, but I want those flights on the books.
#4630
Join Date: May 2013
Location: South Texas
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Glob, AA EXP, Marriott Tit
Posts: 277
Thanks for this reply and the caution from wilsnunn. I have not been able to find many recent reports regarding the e-gates. I saw one person saying they used them at T5. Any idea if they have been open consistently?
#4631
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,568
Here is the data for Tuesday, with just Sweden not giving an update. It is a similar pattern to previous days, with some countries still showing sharp rises and other countries keeping a lid on these rises. The figures for France probably need a few more days before we can see what is going on, they have recalculated some historical data and though the 14 day span usually helps to smooth small spikes, the data spike here was rather large.
On the other hand, deaths (coming from other data sources) are rising fast. Of the 1,220 reported yesterday 363 represents a backlog over previous weeks. But the 7-day average is at 550 (Worldometer) and more might be added retroactively. The worst 7-day average in the first wave was 975.
#4633
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, HHonors Diamond, IHG Uninspired, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, UK AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,152
(It's possible that almost everyone else was being useless at using the e-gates, but my guess is they'd flagged a lot of people to get their PLF checked and hence the e-gates were set to not let those people through)
#4634
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: Bonvoy LTTitanium, BAEC Silver
Posts: 591
It's also worth remembering that this only became law last Thursday when hotels would have had thousands of existing bookings in their systems. The UK Government washed their hands of this disruption and made a lazy assumption that hotels are only used for business or leisure. They failed to consider low risk airport transit stays (the law only relates to hotels in England but LHR is clearly the UK's largest hub) and other reasons but that is another topic.
Last edited by Saint4805; Nov 11, 2020 at 3:09 am
#4635
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: 63,836
Here is the date for Tuesday. Some continued good news from the BeNeLux with the UK and other countries flattening the rise. No immediate sign of that in Italy or Poland yet, but hopefully they will be soon. Greece will lose exemption status this week unless some other factor creeps in. Sweden is now giving data for 7 days a week (but still not reporting it at weekends!).