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UK arrivals - pre-departure, quarantine and post-arrival [currently no requirements]

Old Jun 4, 2020, 5:57 am
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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.

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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.

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)
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UK arrivals - pre-departure, quarantine and post-arrival [currently no requirements]

 
Old Jun 2, 2020, 1:25 am
  #751  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Have sent another batch of emails to the FCO, DfT, HO, PM, my MP, and ScotGov. We shall see!

My concern with the air bridge idea will be the reluctance of places to say "officially" that they are ok with us in terms of our numbers. Far better with UK unilateral decisions, ie X Y Z are on the safe list because their cases are low, A B C are not and require quarantine.
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 1:38 am
  #752  
 
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Originally Posted by Dan1113
Have sent another batch of emails to the FCO, DfT, HO, PM, my MP, and ScotGov. We shall see!

My concern with the air bridge idea will be the reluctance of places to say "officially" that they are ok with us in terms of our numbers. Far better with UK unilateral decisions, ie X Y Z are on the safe list because their cases are low, A B C are not and require quarantine.
Greece is using the EASA list, if the uk is off of it then there is no problem. Germany Portugal and Italy already or from very soon already allow UK arrivals without quarantine and without having to give a reason. UKs cases are collapsing 1500 new ones yesterday is very low. The single most important metric would be new cases and hospitalisations, deaths are quite a bit lagged but they are also falling in a sustained way. If you go to the EASA site it gives its metrics for countries being on the naughty list (UK included), but its a bit vague.

Lufthansa plans a big increase of flights June 15 onwards, BA, Ryanair and EasyJet are a bit confused about what to do due to the UK quarantine being so unclear, but I believe they are hoping for a decent timetable in July
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 1:39 am
  #753  
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What are "the numbers"? Admittedly I could well have missed but where is the league table of numbers and where do we sit? Are we in the playoffs, or relegation zone? Are these numbers some sort of global standard that we have to get to or what? There are so many numbers it would be nice to read what the definitive number is we have to achieve. Again, I may have missed it somewhere along the way.

ETA: Blimey, post above may have given the answer as we were cross posting
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 1:41 am
  #754  
 
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Originally Posted by Silver Fox
What are "the numbers"? Admittedly I could well have missed but where is the league table of numbers and where do we sit? Are we in the playoffs, or relegation zone? Are these numbers some sort of global standard that we have to get to or what? There are so many numbers it would be nice to read what the definitive number is we have to achieve. Again, I may have missed it somewhere along the way.

ETA: Blimey, post above may have given the answer as we were cross posting
well since you posted that I might as well post the EASA naughty list as it gives the names of countries and airports and also the criteria they use for it.

https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/def...issue%2014.pdf
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 1:42 am
  #755  
 
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The minister sent to do the rounds this morning is being far less optimistic about foreign travel than Matt Hancock was last week when he said he was feeling optimistic about some foreign travel this summer:
It is going to be "very, very difficult" for people to take summer holidays this year, a Government minister has said, despite confirming that air bridges are still part of a "live" debate.

Simon Clarke, the Housing Minister, told BBC Breakfast that the two-week quarantine, which comes in from June 8, was "absolutely vital" and would last "for as long as is needed".

Asked about air bridges, he added: "Clearly we will keep policy under review. I can’t comment on live policy questions, and I am not going to speculate on how we might address this scheme."

But speaking to Sky News later, the minister noted that "summer holidays abroad will be very, very difficult".
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 1:43 am
  #756  
 
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Again, from the BBC:

Relaxing UK travel quarantine 'will depend on progress'

Any relaxation over the coming months of the UK's 14-day quarantine rule for people entering the country "will depend on progress", a government minister has said.

Housing minister Simon Clarke told BBC Breakfast the measure was a "temporary, time-limited matter", but said it was "absolutely vital...we do this as long as required".

He added that it was necessary to have the rule in place for now to avoid increasing the risk of a second spike "with new cases coming into the UK... [when] we are starting to get numbers coming down quite strongly in our own country".

Asked whether he had any summer holidays planned, Mr Clarke said he had been set to travel to Jersey in August but said, "I haven't got my bucket and spade out yet."

Meanwhile, former transport minister Stephen Hammond has called for the quarantine measure to be scrapped in favour of so-called air bridges between low-risk countries.

The Tory MP told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that air bridges would be a "sensible, targeted response".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-52887005

Sure, but it's worth mentioning that the UK's daily case number is in the 1,500s, which is approximately 5x more than the one of surrounding countries in Europe.
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 1:44 am
  #757  
 
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Here is the Czech Republic's map of the 'naughty list' that they have produced for reopening their borders, sadly it says a lot about how the UK is perceived abroad just now and thus why us choosing our own criteria for when or not to apply the quarantine is probably better than trying to agree bilateral deals...

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Old Jun 2, 2020, 1:45 am
  #758  
 
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Originally Posted by Dan1113
The minister sent to do the rounds this morning is being far less optimistic about foreign travel than Matt Hancock was last week when he said he was feeling optimistic about some foreign travel this summer:
he is right though, many countries are doing their own thing, flying is quite strict with masks and changes, screening in many countries and new tiles all the time, not to mention a UK quarantine. In the end of the day the housing minister has no power or decision making capability on this matter and is merely giving his opinion.
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 1:47 am
  #759  
 
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Originally Posted by 13901
Again, from the BBC:

Relaxing UK travel quarantine 'will depend on progress'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-52887005

Sure, but it's worth mentioning that the UK's daily case number is in the 1,500s, which is approximately 5x more than the one of surrounding countries in Europe.




the BBC has been extremely negative of the whole thing recently, talking about second wave, cases not going down as much as hoped scientists worried cases it is too early for lockdown release, the only thing for certain is cases and deaths are falling and not one country has had a real second wave so far and so far neither has the UK.


lets not forget though that they have said many times (Patrick Vallance) that the UK is at least 2 weeks behind Europe in the timing of the outbreak so all data are lagged by that amount compared to similarly affected countries (Italy, Spain)

1500 new cases may sound like a lot but it decreased 25% from the day before with roughly the same amount of tests and thats huge!

i am actually more worried about impending civil unrest from the clear distress lockdown has been putting on people, so I think UK government will play politics to sooth peoples anger and if enough people complain about quarantine it will either be toned down or removed completely except for a very few amount of exemptions
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 1:53 am
  #760  
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Originally Posted by ahmetdouas
well since you posted that I might as well post the EASA naughty list as it gives the names of countries and airports and also the criteria they use for it.

https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/def...issue%2014.pdf
Thanks. I think they understate it when they say it is "quite a complex situation". As an aside I see that the social distancing in Greece is 1.5m, and I see that Montenegro is allowing people in if the country they are coming from has less than 25 active cases per 100k of people. If ever there was one time when, as a citizen of the world, I wanted governments to pull together and introduce universal standards and an approach to this, this was it. Failed miserably.

I guess the greatest hope is the Chinese vaccine. I know the Dettol I have been injecting hasn't had much of an effect.
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 2:00 am
  #761  
 
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Originally Posted by Silver Fox
Thanks. I think they understate it when they say it is "quite a complex situation". As an aside I see that the social distancing in Greece is 1.5m, and I see that Montenegro is allowing people in if the country they are coming from has less than 25 active cases per 100k of people. If ever there was one time when, as a citizen of the world, I wanted governments to pull together and introduce universal standards and an approach to this, this was it. Failed miserably.

I guess the greatest hope is the Chinese vaccine. I know the Dettol I have been injecting hasn't had much of an effect.
i think it is safe to say that everyone is pretty much winging it. It is more about politics than science despite what BoJo says, parliament is returning today and high on the agenda is this quarantine so lets see how it goes! I think it is actually top of the agenda and the most talked about topic in the country, in fact now I can even say its a big topic intrrnationally as I just saw this from Bloomberg!

Opinion | Britains Coronavirus Quarantine Wont Fly

The U.K.s quarantine for inbound travelers will inflict economic damage on its $182.5 billion tourism market, and it may not be enforceable.

I saw it on apple news so cant link it but it should be quite easy to find but to say it bluntly, it is very scathing of the British Government for even trying to bring in something so draconian at this phase of the pandemic.

it does end with

Yet the quarantine measures, as constructed, are draconian. They leave a niggling sense not for the first time since the pandemic hit of a British policy that hasnt been thought through and whose rationale hasnt been clearly communicated.

ouch! I get the feeling I am going to get a lot of flak from non British people when I plan to be in Mykonos later this summer, something along the lines of what on earth are you people thinking

Last edited by ahmetdouas; Jun 2, 2020 at 2:09 am
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 2:02 am
  #762  
 
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DM being a bit more positive:

Air bridges WILL be brought in within weeks to save airline industry https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ticle-masthead
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 2:03 am
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Originally Posted by ahmetdouas
well since you posted that I might as well post the EASA naughty list as it gives the names of countries and airports and also the criteria they use for it.

https://www.easa.europa.eu/sites/def...issue%2014.pdf
Brilliant no sign of Atyrau or Bournemouth/Southampton... no problems for me then.....
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 2:06 am
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Originally Posted by DorsetKnob
Brilliant no sign of Atyrau or Bournemouth/Southampton... no problems for me then.....
yeah good luck finding an international flight out of there!
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Old Jun 2, 2020, 2:15 am
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Originally Posted by ahmetdouas
Greece is using the EASA list, if the uk is off of it then there is no problem. Germany Portugal and Italy already or from very soon already allow UK arrivals without quarantine and without having to give a reason. UKs cases are collapsing 1500 new ones yesterday is very low.
When 1500 new cases is around 8 times the number of cases reported in Spain, Portugal or Italy, 5 times the number for France (and `1500x the number of new Greek cases) it's not all that low, actually!

If I were a sensible country, I'd wan't the UK new cases number down to below 500 a day before I would even consider test/quarantine free travel between my country and the UK.
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