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]
#7771
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London
Programs: HertzPresCircle, Virgin Atlantic Gold,Hil-Diam, Europcar Elite Vip, Emirates Gold, MarriottTitanium.
Posts: 419
#7772
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCY/DXB/MCY
Programs: BA Silver / SQ Sol PPS / KE & EK Nobody!
Posts: 387
What I do know, however, is that the increase of 14 to 21 days hotel quarantine for arrivals in Hong Kong was justified by the less than approximately 0.01% of cases where the patient develops symptoms/test positive after a fortnight. I'd hope the need for testing on day 8 after a day 2 test is based on stronger foundations, although I'd think the figure would still likely be in the single digits... Moreover, I don't know what the consequence of pre-departure tests would have on that figure, as they're supposed to stop you getting on the plane with COVID, anyway.
Pre-departure testing seems to be fool me once, Day 2 seems to be fool me twice, so where does that leave Day 8?
#7773
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: 63,736
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33235770-post7573.html
with 48 cases proving positive on the day2 test but negative on the pre-departure test. Which is about 80 times more than the UK background level would be. That wasn't as bad as India was, on one flight 25% of people turned out to be positive by day2.
#7774
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: HKG, BHX, MAN
Programs: Qatar Gold (OWS), Asiana Diamond (*G)
Posts: 1,493
Yes, I personally know 2 people who tested positive on day 2 but not pre-flight.
#7776
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: LCY/DXB/MCY
Programs: BA Silver / SQ Sol PPS / KE & EK Nobody!
Posts: 387
We have got the example of Turkey here:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33235770-post7573.html
with 48 cases proving positive on the day2 test but negative on the pre-departure test. Which is about 80 times more than the UK background level would be. That wasn't as bad as India was, on one flight 25% of people turned out to be positive by day2.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33235770-post7573.html
with 48 cases proving positive on the day2 test but negative on the pre-departure test. Which is about 80 times more than the UK background level would be. That wasn't as bad as India was, on one flight 25% of people turned out to be positive by day2.
#7778
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: RSW & HDS (Naples, Florida & Hoedspruit, South Africa); frequently flying via JNB, EWR, IAD, ORD
Programs: UA Platinum, Star Alliance Gold, Hilton Silver, AA
Posts: 396
They told me today that this was no longer the case.
"This test is non-refundable and payable at time of booking online, as you are purchasing not just the tests, but also the booking confirmation which allows travel and entry to England'
I'm sorry my own experience with Collinson hasn't led to the desired outcome; they seem to get well reviewed generally and I was hoping to use them.
"This test is non-refundable and payable at time of booking online, as you are purchasing not just the tests, but also the booking confirmation which allows travel and entry to England'
I'm sorry my own experience with Collinson hasn't led to the desired outcome; they seem to get well reviewed generally and I was hoping to use them.
#7779
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: 63,736
This I don't doubt - it can't be hard to put together a COVID test on photoshop, but do you think the Day 8 Test makes a material difference, corporate-wage-slave ? I suppose an extra safeguard doesn't hurt!
In hindsight, and with the UK creeping to 70% vaccination coverage, I would have made it a single test at 5 days, with only those travellers vaccinated able to avoid self isolation, but they still get tested and asked to avoid risky situations (family gatherings, indoor hospitality and meetings). And perhaps more and faster Red listing. It's not as thorough as day2 + day8 but it's probably now good enough.
#7780
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
#7781
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: UK (currently)
Programs: BA Gold (and many other greater and lesser distinctions)
Posts: 7,202
Any experiences of Day 2 + 8 testing by either
TESTING FOR ALL - £99 with video supervision and results "typically" 48 hrs after receipt of samples
DANTE - £116 with no mention of video supervision and results within 24 hours after receipt of sample.
As a general question, does one have to await the result of a day 8 test before ending quarantine or is one free to leave on day 11 whether or not received (I assume one has to wait, so turnaround reliability would be important) ?
TESTING FOR ALL - £99 with video supervision and results "typically" 48 hrs after receipt of samples
DANTE - £116 with no mention of video supervision and results within 24 hours after receipt of sample.
As a general question, does one have to await the result of a day 8 test before ending quarantine or is one free to leave on day 11 whether or not received (I assume one has to wait, so turnaround reliability would be important) ?
#7782
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
Any experiences of Day 2 + 8 testing by either
TESTING FOR ALL - £99 with video supervision and results "typically" 48 hrs after receipt of samples
DANTE - £116 with no mention of video supervision and results within 24 hours after receipt of sample.
As a general question, does one have to await the result of a day 8 test before ending quarantine or is one free to leave on day 11 whether or not received (I assume one has to wait, so turnaround reliability would be important) ?
TESTING FOR ALL - £99 with video supervision and results "typically" 48 hrs after receipt of samples
DANTE - £116 with no mention of video supervision and results within 24 hours after receipt of sample.
As a general question, does one have to await the result of a day 8 test before ending quarantine or is one free to leave on day 11 whether or not received (I assume one has to wait, so turnaround reliability would be important) ?
#7783
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,752
https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-...tion.pdf?la=en
From the four systematic reviews and meta-analyses, the pooled estimates for the 50th to 97.5th percentile of the median incubation period are as follows:
50th percentile: 5.1 days (95% CI: 4.55.8) to 5.4 days (95% CI: 5.05.7)
75th percentile: 6.7 days (95% CI: 5.77.9) to 8.5 days (95% CI: 7.99.1)
90th percentile: 9.7 days (95% CI: 8.111.6)
95th percentile: 11.2 days (95% CI: 10.711.8) to 11.7 days (95% CI: 9.714.2)
50th percentile: 5.1 days (95% CI: 4.55.8) to 5.4 days (95% CI: 5.05.7)
75th percentile: 6.7 days (95% CI: 5.77.9) to 8.5 days (95% CI: 7.99.1)
90th percentile: 9.7 days (95% CI: 8.111.6)
95th percentile: 11.2 days (95% CI: 10.711.8) to 11.7 days (95% CI: 9.714.2)
#7784
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,649
Any experiences of Day 2 + 8 testing by either
TESTING FOR ALL - £99 with video supervision and results "typically" 48 hrs after receipt of samples
DANTE - £116 with no mention of video supervision and results within 24 hours after receipt of sample.
As a general question, does one have to await the result of a day 8 test before ending quarantine or is one free to leave on day 11 whether or not received (I assume one has to wait, so turnaround reliability would be important) ?
TESTING FOR ALL - £99 with video supervision and results "typically" 48 hrs after receipt of samples
DANTE - £116 with no mention of video supervision and results within 24 hours after receipt of sample.
As a general question, does one have to await the result of a day 8 test before ending quarantine or is one free to leave on day 11 whether or not received (I assume one has to wait, so turnaround reliability would be important) ?
#7785
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London & Sonoma CA
Programs: UA 1K, MM *G for life, BAEC Gold
Posts: 10,220
It seems to me that the Day 8 test is particularly non-sensical. If a Day 5 Test to Release is sufficiently persuasive to admit release, then logically there should be no need for a Day 8. If not, then why permit release at Day 5?