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]
Jun 3, 2020, 4:24 am
#826
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,553
Here is the press release for today, I am expecting further documents will also be released this afternoon. There isn't a lot new, other than some CTA passengers will need to fill in the form.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/p...orce-next-week
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/p...orce-next-week
The rules do not apply those travelling from within the common travel area (CTA) in Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, unless they have arrived in the CTA from overseas within the last 14 days, in which case they will have to provide locator details and self-isolate on arrival here.
Jun 3, 2020, 4:26 am
#827
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
They would ask you to self incriminate yourself on the form and say you were somewhere else less than 14 days ago. So in their eyes, this is definitely a situation where you do not have the right to remain silent!
Jun 3, 2020, 4:30 am
#828
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
I've no issues to quarantine if needed; I did quarantine at home after having returned from Italy at the beginning of the crisis, at the request of my employer. But there's a fundamental difference between that and what is being done here. I could be returning on the 8th after three months counting penguins on the Antarctic ice shelf, alone with the exception of said birds, and be asked to quarantine for two weeks; or I could be returning on the 7th from Brazil, having spent six weeks hugging people at Bolsonaro's rallies and waltz in without a care in the world, free to use the Piccadilly Line without a mask - because "Good, British common sense" is being employed when telling people that they should (not must, should) wear face coverings on public transport.
Jun 3, 2020, 4:35 am
#829
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Hong Kong, France
Programs: FB , BA Gold
Posts: 15,564
But if if you stay in UK and walk around, you are more likely to get infected and become an asymptomatic carrier than if you walk around Nice. Your argument would suggest putting in quarantine all of UK because the infection rate is much higher.
Jun 3, 2020, 4:37 am
#830
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
And the threat of being deported for not self isolating; yes very welcoming of the Home Office, for sure the UK is 'open for business'.
Jun 3, 2020, 4:38 am
#831
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,553
Sigh. This situation is just ridiculous.
Jun 3, 2020, 4:43 am
#832
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-a9545726.html
Here is the Independent calling Quarantine a '3 week wonder', and apparently 'sources' in the Travel Industry are assured that travel will go ahead in July and August.
Here is the Independent calling Quarantine a '3 week wonder', and apparently 'sources' in the Travel Industry are assured that travel will go ahead in July and August.
Jun 3, 2020, 4:47 am
#833
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
From the BBC, what is HMG doing, upto nothing about air bridges:
"The Italian foreign ministry says it has not held conversations "at this point" with the UK about the possibility of establishing "air bridges" between the two countries, which would mean British tourists don't have to self-isolate after visiting Italy."
"The Italian foreign ministry says it has not held conversations "at this point" with the UK about the possibility of establishing "air bridges" between the two countries, which would mean British tourists don't have to self-isolate after visiting Italy."
Jun 3, 2020, 4:55 am
#834
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,553
From the BBC, what is HMG doing, upto nothing about air bridges:
"The Italian foreign ministry says it has not held conversations "at this point" with the UK about the possibility of establishing "air bridges" between the two countries, which would mean British tourists don't have to self-isolate after visiting Italy."
"The Italian foreign ministry says it has not held conversations "at this point" with the UK about the possibility of establishing "air bridges" between the two countries, which would mean British tourists don't have to self-isolate after visiting Italy."
Jun 3, 2020, 5:35 am
#835
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: where lions are led by donkeys...
Programs: Lifetime Gold, Global Entry, Hertz PC, and my wallet
Posts: 20,346
There is no doubt in my mind that discussions are taking place. We are just waiting for them to finish working out how they can backtrack gracefully and save any shred of credibility that is left - in HMG eyes. Talk about backing yourself into a corner.
Jun 3, 2020, 5:41 am
#836
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
Assuming the Italian FM is right (he's not the brightest or sharpest tool in the box, and major developments have in the past happened, in Italy, without him being aware of them), this is quite evocative of the post-Brexit reality we're getting into: most EU countries coordinated at some level through the EU framework (see the tourism ministries meeting a few weeks ago). Britain is now one of the many outliers, and requires 1:1 contacts. Which take time.
Jun 3, 2020, 5:44 am
#837
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Rhineland-Palatinate
Programs: *A Gold (A3), HHonor Gold
Posts: 5,700
actually London already has had it so much that the community is quite immune so the quarantine makes no sense now, even more so with exemptions and the fact that you can go shopping and take public transport !
also they need to speed up antibody testing as if I have a positive one they’ll have a very hard time convincing me I am not immune to it ! If 20% of London has already had it I am very curious to see my result
this policy is just to cover up other policy failures and appear they are in control; I cannot see a policy so far that has brought so much negative press and ridicule since this virus has started, even worse with Patel’s statement yesterday, they should be ashamed of themselves
also they need to speed up antibody testing as if I have a positive one they’ll have a very hard time convincing me I am not immune to it ! If 20% of London has already had it I am very curious to see my result
this policy is just to cover up other policy failures and appear they are in control; I cannot see a policy so far that has brought so much negative press and ridicule since this virus has started, even worse with Patel’s statement yesterday, they should be ashamed of themselves
The current researchers and virologists do not know about immunity yet, AFAIK.
Jun 3, 2020, 5:45 am
#838
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
Programs: LH SEN** HH Diamond
Posts: 29,516
Extract from the Prime Minister’s Question time in The House of Commons (BBC)
PM challenged on timing of UK quarantine rules
12:32
The prime minister is asked why the UK is only introducing quarantine arrangements now, with other European countries relaxing them.
Boris Johnson replies it is for the "simple reason" that it is to keep the "rate of infection down".
"It is vital we avoid reinfection from elsewhere and that is why we are doing it," he says.
12:32
The prime minister is asked why the UK is only introducing quarantine arrangements now, with other European countries relaxing them.
Boris Johnson replies it is for the "simple reason" that it is to keep the "rate of infection down".
"It is vital we avoid reinfection from elsewhere and that is why we are doing it," he says.
Jun 3, 2020, 5:47 am
#839
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: LHR/ATH
Programs: Amex Platinum, LH SEN (Gold), BA Bronze
Posts: 4,489
12:32
The prime minister is asked why the UK is only introducing quarantine arrangements now, with other European countries relaxing them.
Boris Johnson replies it is for the "simple reason" that it is to keep the "rate of infection down".
"It is vital we avoid reinfection from elsewhere and that is why we are doing it," he says.
The prime minister is asked why the UK is only introducing quarantine arrangements now, with other European countries relaxing them.
Boris Johnson replies it is for the "simple reason" that it is to keep the "rate of infection down".
"It is vital we avoid reinfection from elsewhere and that is why we are doing it," he says.
He didn't answer directly a question from a Labour MP when he asked that he thought the purpose was to protect UK from other countries with higher infections, but that most countries have lower infections than the UK!
Jun 3, 2020, 5:49 am
#840
Senior Moderator, Moderator: Community Buzz and Ambassador: Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: 150km from MAN
Programs: LH SEN** HH Diamond
Posts: 29,516
Labour MP: Quarantine plan 'will devastate travel industry'
12:36
Labour MP Ben Bradshaw asks why the PM is "inflicting a blanket quarantine" on the UK "that will devastate the travel industry and rob British families of their foreign holidays".
The PM says that the “simple reason is to protect the British people from the reimporting of that disease once we have driven infection rates down".
12:36
Labour MP Ben Bradshaw asks why the PM is "inflicting a blanket quarantine" on the UK "that will devastate the travel industry and rob British families of their foreign holidays".
The PM says that the “simple reason is to protect the British people from the reimporting of that disease once we have driven infection rates down".