Jun 4, 2020, 5:57 am
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]
May 10, 2021, 9:06 am
#7711
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
If you are not travelling soon, it is probably better to wait to sort out insurance. We are hopefully moving from a low volume high risk market back to something more normal. That should prompt more providers to return to the market and for prices to come down. I always used to have an annual policy, but that expired some months back and the provider refused to renew - I had a high risk policy which is not easy in the best of times. If you travel soon, a single trip policy may be a better bet.
"I have a reply back from our Underwriters.
If the FCDO do not change their stance on all but essential travel before the 17/05. You would not have cover.
We would only offer cover if your trip was classified as essential and Underwriting agreed to cover you.
With this in mind you may also have to apply via the FCDO website for permission to leave on Essential business."
What on earth do they mean by the last sentence?
May 10, 2021, 9:12 am
#7712
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,658
I asked my current annual travel insurance provider LV if they cover travel to amber countries if FCO says ABE, and they said this:
"I have a reply back from our Underwriters.
If the FCDO do not change their stance on all but essential travel before the 17/05. You would not have cover.
We would only offer cover if your trip was classified as essential and Underwriting agreed to cover you.
With this in mind you may also have to apply via the FCDO website for permission to leave on Essential business."
What on earth do they mean by the last sentence?
"I have a reply back from our Underwriters.
If the FCDO do not change their stance on all but essential travel before the 17/05. You would not have cover.
We would only offer cover if your trip was classified as essential and Underwriting agreed to cover you.
With this in mind you may also have to apply via the FCDO website for permission to leave on Essential business."
What on earth do they mean by the last sentence?
May 10, 2021, 9:14 am
#7713
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
That's what I thought too, so avoid LV. I'll get a single trip policy for the next couple of trips then if they are ABE as CWS recommended, also Avanti I note over this type of cover.
May 10, 2021, 9:18 am
#7714
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,658
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavi...ational-travel
May 10, 2021, 9:22 am
#7716
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,977
Yes, based on their response I think they are only advising you on the position until the 17 May they are correct that any travel leaving the UK must only be for certain exemption reasons regardless of FCO ABE designations.
Beyond 17 May that prohibition on travel will be revoked, so the question is still whether they cover travel to destinations which are still under a FCO ABE.
Beyond 17 May that prohibition on travel will be revoked, so the question is still whether they cover travel to destinations which are still under a FCO ABE.
May 10, 2021, 12:06 pm
#7717
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
With the Qured one what app do they use for the video call please, I've not used it before bit of a technophobe on this, is it easy to use? Do they watch you taking the test too?
For Randox if buying for 2 people is it ok to order in 1 order or do you have to do 2 separate orders to get 2 numbers to put on the PLF?
For Randox if buying for 2 people is it ok to order in 1 order or do you have to do 2 separate orders to get 2 numbers to put on the PLF?
May 10, 2021, 1:07 pm
#7718
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,658
With the Qured one what app do they use for the video call please, I've not used it before bit of a technophobe on this, is it easy to use? Do they watch you taking the test too?
For Randox if buying for 2 people is it ok to order in 1 order or do you have to do 2 separate orders to get 2 numbers to put on the PLF?
For Randox if buying for 2 people is it ok to order in 1 order or do you have to do 2 separate orders to get 2 numbers to put on the PLF?
I had a look at the Randox web site out of interest. It is good to see they have their act together with the new rules. However, clicking on the link to buy the tests currently puts you into a queue behind 930 others and a 24 minute wait time for web ordering. They are rate limiting bookings which may not bode well for them fulfilling the orders. On the other hand, they may be more sensible than other providers that could not cope a few weeks ago.
May 10, 2021, 1:26 pm
#7719
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
Good second question. I have not seen anything on this. The PLF has not had a good history of checking input in the past, so I would guess a single order will be OK. If Randox will let you order two packages at the same time, then it should also work. However, it may be safer to do two orders.
I had a look at the Randox web site out of interest. It is good to see they have their act together with the new rules. However, clicking on the link to buy the tests currently puts you into a queue behind 930 others and a 24 minute wait time for web ordering. They are rate limiting bookings which may not bode well for them fulfilling the orders. On the other hand, they may be more sensible than other providers that could not cope a few weeks ago.
I had a look at the Randox web site out of interest. It is good to see they have their act together with the new rules. However, clicking on the link to buy the tests currently puts you into a queue behind 930 others and a 24 minute wait time for web ordering. They are rate limiting bookings which may not bode well for them fulfilling the orders. On the other hand, they may be more sensible than other providers that could not cope a few weeks ago.
May 10, 2021, 3:02 pm
#7720
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 6
clarify
You don't have to do the day2 PCR test, but you do need to buy it and and from a public health point of view it would be advisable to go ahead with it. You can of course do it when you arrive into LHR from Amber and get it out of the way as soon as you land. .
May 10, 2021, 3:10 pm
#7721
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 6
Does anyone have an exact date for when the green list will be updated? I'm hearing that its almost a for sure that USA will be added to green list
May 10, 2021, 3:31 pm
#7722
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 710
"Mr Shapps said.... Countries on the green, amber and red lists would be reviewed every three weeks from 17 May." Note that countries can be added to the red list at any time.
May 10, 2021, 3:50 pm
#7723
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: AA MM, AA EXP; OW Emerald, EK silver
Posts: 928
[QUOTE=paulaf;33240926]With the Qured one what app do they use for the video call please, I've not used it before bit of a technophobe on this, is it easy to use? Do they watch you taking the test too?
?[/QUOTE
I did the Qured test - very easy. They gave a link which connected me via internet (no separate app needed) to a person who talked me through the test. The information sent with the test gives all you need to have with you for doing the test including a pen which is important for labeling the test as you do it. They watch you do it and 20 mins later you take a photo of the test strip together with a photo ID (I used my driving license) and email it to them. I got a certificate about 10 mins later which I printed out. It was an extremely easy system - the important is to have a phone or laptop with camera and a mode of printing out the results. Also recommend reading the instructions before doing the test so you have all the odds and ends ready to go.
?[/QUOTE
I did the Qured test - very easy. They gave a link which connected me via internet (no separate app needed) to a person who talked me through the test. The information sent with the test gives all you need to have with you for doing the test including a pen which is important for labeling the test as you do it. They watch you do it and 20 mins later you take a photo of the test strip together with a photo ID (I used my driving license) and email it to them. I got a certificate about 10 mins later which I printed out. It was an extremely easy system - the important is to have a phone or laptop with camera and a mode of printing out the results. Also recommend reading the instructions before doing the test so you have all the odds and ends ready to go.
Last edited by dwugson; May 10, 2021 at 3:52 pm Reason: clarity
May 10, 2021, 4:04 pm
#7724
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: 63,830
Those leaving the UK between the first and third nights in the UK don't need to take the second test since the requirement is to take the test during or before day2, when arrival day is day0. There is some debate about this for those leaving between the first and second nights as to whether a test is needed at all, the wording of the relevant Statutory Instrument is open to discussion. With Border Force you may win that discussion, at worst you would be forced to buy a day2 test. But check-in agents in your departing airport may require these tests. The rules for one country are complex, each country comes up with their own rules and complexities, I certainly wouldn't want to be a check-in agent at the moment.
That was all about buying the test. In terms of checking whether you do the test, that doesn't fall to the Border Force or check-in agents, but to Public Health England (in England), who have a telephone centre ringing people up daily. If they have concerns about someone, they can send someone round to check that they are both self isolating and taking the required tests - they will also want to know the result. The escalation point beyond that is to the police, who may or may not regard it as a priority.
Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; May 10, 2021 at 4:12 pm
May 10, 2021, 7:28 pm
#7725
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Wesley Chapel, FL
Programs: American Airlines
Posts: 30,033
What does one think the odds of the US being green lighted will happen on the next update on may 17? If not then when is the next update and chances at that stage?
