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]
Jul 8, 2021, 10:06 am
#9241
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA Platinum
Posts: 2,507
Thanks to KSVVZ2015 for any info from your surgery. I am in the same boat.
Jul 8, 2021, 10:11 am
#9242
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,478
Sky is reporting the following which doesn't make me hopeful 
An important note - quarantine exemption for travel will only apply to people vaccinated by the NHS
In a move that could prove controversial among Britons living abroad, Downing Street has clarified the exemption to quarantine for double-jabbed people returning from amber list countries will only apply to those given a vaccine by the NHS.
The prime minister's official spokesman said: "It does need to be a vaccine administered through the NHS rollout so you would need to have received your vaccine through the NHS rather than in a different country."
An important note - quarantine exemption for travel will only apply to people vaccinated by the NHS In a move that could prove controversial among Britons living abroad, Downing Street has clarified the exemption to quarantine for double-jabbed people returning from amber list countries will only apply to those given a vaccine by the NHS.
The prime minister's official spokesman said: "It does need to be a vaccine administered through the NHS rollout so you would need to have received your vaccine through the NHS rather than in a different country."
What I suspect is really meant here is "showing in the NHS system", which means that the non-approved vaccines with potentially lower efficacy won't count, and doctors likely wouldn't be able to add them because there's no category for them.
Jul 8, 2021, 10:20 am
#9243
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 710
I tend to agree, which leads me to think restricting visitor entry to England is mostly CYA politics. If they expand visitor entry and the hospitalization rate soars, it won't matter the reason, the perception will be that visitors brought it in. If they keep the border closed and hospitalization rates soar, they can claim the majority wanted internal restrictions relaxed and this was the natural consequence.
Jul 8, 2021, 10:21 am
#9244
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,228
The cynic in me would say that the 19th July has been chosen simply because most schools in England break up for the summer holiday on the 23rd July, and so it's to allow everyone to jet off on holiday. It does absolutely nothing to help the UK tourism industry, nor any UK citizen who is non-resident and / or who wasn't vaccinated on the NHS. It's effectively state-mandated discrimination against its own citizens.
Last edited by Geordie405; Jul 8, 2021 at 10:25 am Reason: Grammar
Jul 8, 2021, 10:23 am
#9245
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 5,797
But i meant more that the UK decided to prolong the interval between doses against the recommendations and trials of the manufacturers.
Jul 8, 2021, 10:25 am
#9246
Suspended
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: DL, UA, AA, VS
Posts: 5,226
The cynic in me would say that the 19th July has been chosen simply because most schools in England break up for the summer holiday on the 23rd July, and so it's to allow everyone to jet off on holiday. It does absolutely nothing to help the UK tourism industry, nor any UK citizen who is non-resident and / or who wasn't vaccinated on the NHS. It's effectively state-mandated discrimination against it's own citizens.
Or would most people have been fine, either stay in the UK or deal with the quarantines when they returned?
Jul 8, 2021, 10:45 am
#9247
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, HHonors Diamond, IHG Uninspired, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium, UK AMEX Plat
Posts: 2,152
I agree its a first step and hopefully the second step comes soon. But I disagree with the second part of your point. The UK continually overcomplicates things and focuses on the wrong risks. I entered France with my CDC card. They didn't have some elaborate program to verify I hadn't faked it. They just looked at the card and off I went.
Jul 8, 2021, 10:59 am
#9248
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,050
International tourists or UK expats wanting to return for a visit are clearly lower risk for bringing in COVID variants than a horde of maskless British lager louts doing Magalluf, Ayia Napa (or Wembley Stadium), but the politics of blaming foreigners has worked so well for the current government that there's no point stopping now.
Jul 8, 2021, 10:59 am
#9249
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
But i meant more that the UK decided to prolong the interval between doses against the recommendations and trials of the manufacturers.
There seems to be some evidence that mixing vaccines may achieve an increased immune response*, but which BigPharma would suggest patients are best protected when their product is mixed with a competitor's product? Even if the scientists thought that might be a trial worth running, would the management sign off on it? I doubt it.
* https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-01805-2
Last edited by shorthauldad; Jul 8, 2021 at 11:05 am
Jul 8, 2021, 11:30 am
#9251
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold; Hilton Honors Diamond
Posts: 3,228
I really don't have any issue with people in the UK jetting off to sunnier climes. However, why should my brother (a British citizen, double-jabbed) be treated more favourably coming back from an Amber List country than me (also a British citizen, double-jabbed) coming back from the USA (also an Amber List country) where the only grounds for the different self-isolation policy (none in his case, up to 10 days in mine) is the fact that he's ordinarily resident in England and he has been vaccinated by the NHS?
Jul 8, 2021, 11:51 am
#9252
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
why should my brother (a British citizen, double-jabbed) be treated more favourably coming back from an Amber List country than me (also a British citizen, double-jabbed) coming back from the USA (also an Amber List country) where the only grounds for the different self-isolation policy
The rules for visiting the UK right now appear to be approximately 99% politics and 1% epidemiology.
Jul 8, 2021, 12:38 pm
#9253
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 750
Has anyone used the BinaxNow Home test with supervision (approved by US CDC for reentry) on transit through LHR? Experiences?
We are scheduled to transit LHR (CAI-LHR-ORD) and looking at taking the BinaxNow test with us for our return testing. I know it will work for US reentry but not sure if it will meet the need of UK for a covid test for transit. It is an antigen test. It meets specificity rules for UK but a little fuzzy on whether it meets the need for sensitivity (one place it looks like it does, another place it may be low)
TIA
We are scheduled to transit LHR (CAI-LHR-ORD) and looking at taking the BinaxNow test with us for our return testing. I know it will work for US reentry but not sure if it will meet the need of UK for a covid test for transit. It is an antigen test. It meets specificity rules for UK but a little fuzzy on whether it meets the need for sensitivity (one place it looks like it does, another place it may be low)
TIA
Jul 8, 2021, 12:41 pm
#9254
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 963
I've visited Italy three times this year. All three trips have been for business and that's meant fewer requirements/restrictions than a holiday visit would have incurred. This might make sense from an political and economic point of view, it certainly doesn't from an epidemiological one.
The rules for visiting the UK right now appear to be approximately 99% politics and 1% epidemiology.
The rules for visiting the UK right now appear to be approximately 99% politics and 1% epidemiology.
Jul 8, 2021, 12:41 pm
#9255
Join Date: May 2000
Posts: 750
@prof - can you print the results from the app?