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 18, 2021, 5:44 pm
#7891
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: London, Paris
Programs: LH HON, AF Platinum
Posts: 2,001
Thanks for the information. I appreciate you being cautious, but it's important to clarify that a vaccine efficacy of 95% doesn't mean you have a 5% chance of getting COVID. It actually means that you have a 95% lower chance of getting COVID relative to someone who is unvaccinated. Given that only 10-20% of people in the US have contracted the virus over the past 15 months, the risk is very low indeed - below 1% over a full year, so with any given encounter, it's effectively a very small fraction of 1%.
People are so so so bad at probabilities.
May 19, 2021, 6:49 am
#7892
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London
Programs: HertzPresCircle, Virgin Atlantic Gold,Hil-Diam, Europcar Elite Vip, Emirates Gold, MarriottTitanium.
Posts: 419
Ah i see the UK gov is back to their messaging like "You should not be going to an amber list country on holiday," the PM says. "you can travel, but you shouldn't" "go on holiday this summer" "I don't think you should go abroad, but i can't do anything about it" "It could be amber now, tomorrow red, and next weekend green". etc.
It's back to the old covid-19 days where every person in the UK gov says something different. Then they all say there should be one single clear message. Then that message is released and the others say they don't agree with it and it should be so and so..
It's back to the old covid-19 days where every person in the UK gov says something different. Then they all say there should be one single clear message. Then that message is released and the others say they don't agree with it and it should be so and so..
May 19, 2021, 7:48 am
#7893
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,970
Has anyone been successful with a LumiraDx rapid antigen test (From CVS) transitting LHR from the USA?
May 19, 2021, 8:03 am
#7894
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,618
Ah i see the UK gov is back to their messaging like "You should not be going to an amber list country on holiday," the PM says. "you can travel, but you shouldn't" "go on holiday this summer" "I don't think you should go abroad, but i can't do anything about it" "It could be amber now, tomorrow red, and next weekend green". etc.
It's back to the old covid-19 days where every person in the UK gov says something different. Then they all say there should be one single clear message. Then that message is released and the others say they don't agree with it and it should be so and so..
It's back to the old covid-19 days where every person in the UK gov says something different. Then they all say there should be one single clear message. Then that message is released and the others say they don't agree with it and it should be so and so..
Visits to those countries should only be made in "extreme" circumstances such as a family illness, he said.
If people ignore that advice people would face "very substantial fines", he said.
If people ignore that advice people would face "very substantial fines", he said.
May 19, 2021, 8:11 am
#7895
Join Date: May 2012
Location: JFK, MAN
Programs: BA Gold, Hilton Diamond, Amex Plat
Posts: 425
As per https://www.lumiradx.com/us-en/what-...y/antigen-test it has 96.6% specificity whereas as per https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavi...d#type-of-test it must be ≥97% specificity.
May 19, 2021, 8:16 am
#7896
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BA Exec, LH M&M
Posts: 190
Ah i see the UK gov is back to their messaging like "You should not be going to an amber list country on holiday," the PM says. "you can travel, but you shouldn't" "go on holiday this summer" "I don't think you should go abroad, but i can't do anything about it" "It could be amber now, tomorrow red, and next weekend green". etc.
It's back to the old covid-19 days where every person in the UK gov says something different. Then they all say there should be one single clear message. Then that message is released and the others say they don't agree with it and it should be so and so..
It's back to the old covid-19 days where every person in the UK gov says something different. Then they all say there should be one single clear message. Then that message is released and the others say they don't agree with it and it should be so and so..
May 19, 2021, 8:42 am
#7897
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: California
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite
Posts: 1,970
That test falls short of UK requirements.
As per https://www.lumiradx.com/us-en/what-...y/antigen-test it has 96.6% specificity whereas as per https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavi...d#type-of-test it must be ≥97% specificity.
As per https://www.lumiradx.com/us-en/what-...y/antigen-test it has 96.6% specificity whereas as per https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavi...d#type-of-test it must be ≥97% specificity.
May 19, 2021, 9:22 am
#7898
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,479
I’d say the government’s mixed messaging about traveling to Amber countries is of greater importance and illustrates what a shambles the whole thing is - they must know, from what’s written in the SI and given the earlier advice and proclamations from ministers, the chance of a conviction resulting in a fine is about as close to nil as is possible.
May 19, 2021, 9:27 am
#7899
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: UK (currently)
Programs: BA Gold (and many other greater and lesser distinctions)
Posts: 7,210
I’d say the government’s mixed messaging about traveling to Amber countries is of greater importance and illustrates what a shambles the whole thing is - they must know, from what’s written in the SI and given the earlier advice and proclamations from ministers, the chance of a conviction resulting in a fine is about as close to nil as is possible.
May 19, 2021, 10:01 am
#7900
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: UK (currently)
Programs: BA Gold (and many other greater and lesser distinctions)
Posts: 7,210
Sorry if this has already been asked and answered, but if planning to take a Day 5 test, does the reliability of the Day 2 / 8 tester really matter ? Assuming the main Day 2 / 8 tester proves unreliable in sending kits / results, but one has a tip top Day 5 tester who turns the result around the same day / next day, is one not free to leave quarantine - maybe even if one does not yet have the day2 result back ? I was thinking of going for the cheapest Day 2 / 8 and putting my money into a really good Day 5. Is that an ill-advised strategy ?
May 19, 2021, 10:29 am
#7901
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,658
Sorry if this has already been asked and answered, but if planning to take a Day 5 test, does the reliability of the Day 2 / 8 tester really matter ? Assuming the main Day 2 / 8 tester proves unreliable in sending kits / results, but one has a tip top Day 5 tester who turns the result around the same day / next day, is one not free to leave quarantine - maybe even if one does not yet have the day2 result back ? I was thinking of going for the cheapest Day 2 / 8 and putting my money into a really good Day 5. Is that an ill-advised strategy ?
May 19, 2021, 11:10 am
#7902
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Gold, Caesars Diamond
Posts: 923
Does anyone have any suggestions for travel insurance for going to a non EU amber country? Thx
May 19, 2021, 9:59 pm
#7904
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO/SJC
Programs: UA 1K & 2MM, Bonvoy Titanium & LTP, HH Gold, Accor Silver, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 2,350
Looks like I'm going to be making a short trip home to England. Fully vaccinated. Flights are via FRA. I arrive on a Thursday and leave on the Sunday. My plan is to do a fit-to-fly test on Friday (Day 1) around lunchtime - that will work with the 48 hour prior to landing in FRA requirement and the 72 hour prior to departure US requirement.
My question is - can I use that test as my Day 2 Test? I can't see any reason why not based on everything I've read, but if someone knows for sure would appreciate the input!
My question is - can I use that test as my Day 2 Test? I can't see any reason why not based on everything I've read, but if someone knows for sure would appreciate the input!
May 19, 2021, 11:29 pm
#7905
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,658
Looks like I'm going to be making a short trip home to England. Fully vaccinated. Flights are via FRA. I arrive on a Thursday and leave on the Sunday. My plan is to do a fit-to-fly test on Friday (Day 1) around lunchtime - that will work with the 48 hour prior to landing in FRA requirement and the 72 hour prior to departure US requirement.
My question is - can I use that test as my Day 2 Test? I can't see any reason why not based on everything I've read, but if someone knows for sure would appreciate the input!
My question is - can I use that test as my Day 2 Test? I can't see any reason why not based on everything I've read, but if someone knows for sure would appreciate the input!