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]
Oct 7, 2021, 2:28 pm
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Beyond that is real crystal ball stuff. What will perhaps induce the ending of all testing? To my mind it's the level of infection falling to a much lower level inside the UK. Logically this doesn't make sense on many levels, but if say the infection rate fell by half and stayed there; kids getting vaccinated; the vaccine hesitant coming forward if they want to go on holiday in Spain; death rates would fall from the current 108 a day to perhaps 50 a day; the number of people admitted to hosptial daily would be around 300 a day, so less than 1% of total hospital admissions and not putting much pressure on the NHS. At that point it gets very difficult to justify massive efforts since that level of infection isn't worth it. This scenario could happen in a few months, if people tried really hard not to get infected. So I can see a scenario where for those who are vaccinated it's more or less open sesame, and not just for the UK, probably globally.
Oct 7, 2021, 3:17 pm
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,553
Good news. From Monday, subject to any unlikely curved balls in the Statutory Instrument, your Brazilian mother can come to the UK with her local vaccination certificate and a PLF. She needs to take a day2 PCR (as things stand) but there is no self-isolation. Scotland has so far followed England's position on this, plus or minus a few days, but frankly since there are no flights between Brazil and Scotland it's immaterial. Quite a turn around - if your mum arrives today she is in managed self isolation regardless of vaccine status.
Amazing timing. 🎉
Oct 7, 2021, 3:19 pm
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Except that we have the worst masking of any country I’ve been in. Went to Spain on business two weeks ago and pretty sure masks are a big reason why we have 10x the infection rate.
Oct 7, 2021, 3:27 pm
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,015
Yes but an added oddity is they've been giving AZ boosters for some months now especially to those with Sinovac.
Oct 7, 2021, 3:44 pm
Join Date: Aug 2006
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Transit through LHR day 2 PCR - English or Scottish rules?
Apologies for a relatively niche question but hoping others may have experience with this issue. About to take our first foreign travel since the pandemic (!) with kids under 11 yrs old and will be travelling from Scotland via LHR on BA through tickets to a non-red country in Europe. In Scotland international arrivals under 11 do not need a day 2 PCR however in England they do if over 5. Can't find confirmation anywhere that we will be able to use the Scottish rules when flying back to LHR as we have a connection to our final destination/home (Scotland).
Are we likely to encounter issues at the airport before we fly back to LHR? Am tempted to shell out and book to avoid issues but hoped others may be able to advise from experience? Thanks in advance
Are we likely to encounter issues at the airport before we fly back to LHR? Am tempted to shell out and book to avoid issues but hoped others may be able to advise from experience? Thanks in advance
Oct 7, 2021, 4:07 pm
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Well, let's put it this way, I can't see the police in Scotland doing much about it, and I can't see the Met driving up past Hadrian's Wall to see you about it either. But there is an argument that they perhaps should be tested, purely to make sure they are OK and no-one gets blamed for not doing tests.
Oct 7, 2021, 4:12 pm
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: UK
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Well, let's put it this way, I can't see the police in Scotland doing much about it, and I can't see the Met driving up past Hadrian's Wall to see you about it either. But there is an argument that they perhaps should be tested, purely to make sure they are OK and no-one gets blamed for not doing tests.
Oct 7, 2021, 4:19 pm
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Posts: 1,181
Is anyone aware of a day 2 test that comes back same day? Most say by 10pm the next day and I'm not quite sure if the usual rapid pcr will qualify for the day 2 test. I'm going to overnight in London before continuing on to Budapest and was going to use the test in London for entry into Budapest as well as returning home.
Oct 7, 2021, 4:34 pm
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Collinson - now on the perimeter of Heathrow - offer a same day PCR test. And so do Express Test at T5. These are just tests that are rushed to a lab and processed straightaway, so have a 3 or 4 hour turn around. You don't need a day2 test per se, if you are in transit, unless there is some other factor involved.
Oct 7, 2021, 4:38 pm
Join Date: Sep 2021
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This test won't be for UK purposes since you don't need a test for transit, I am not sure about SA's requirements.Bbut if you test on a Monday using (e.g.) Randox or Nationwide Pathology or AN Other provider, you probably get a result on Tuesday and that test result is OK for the return to the USA, so long as it is on or before Thursday.
I will have already done a PCR test prior to LAX-LHR for SA’s PCR test rule (from what I was told, they’ll check on this leg. Not sure if they’ll check on the LHR-JNB leg if I already have a boarding pass), and if a test isn’t required for the LHR transit, I’ll just bring a long an eMed/Abbott test kit for the US test requirement.
Oct 7, 2021, 4:51 pm
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Posts: 1,181
Collinson - now on the perimeter of Heathrow - offer a same day PCR test. And so do Express Test at T5. These are just tests that are rushed to a lab and processed straightaway, so have a 3 or 4 hour turn around. You don't need a day2 test per se, if you are in transit, unless there is some other factor involved.
Does Collinson accept walkups? I get the impression that it's a drive through only site like most CVS or Walgreens. I'd get turned away there without a car.
Oct 7, 2021, 5:01 pm
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It's on separate tickets so in theory I shouldn't have a problem. However, some agents I can see wanting to see proof of one. I'll need one for Budapest and return so it's probably easier just to do it in London and be done with it.
Does Collinson accept walkups? I get the impression that it's a drive through only site like most CVS or Walgreens. I'd get turned away there without a car.
Does Collinson accept walkups? I get the impression that it's a drive through only site like most CVS or Walgreens. I'd get turned away there without a car.
Oct 7, 2021, 5:12 pm
Join Date: Dec 2009
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Posts: 1,181
I believe it's a park and test location, and therefore you can walk in. Note that you will have to indicate on the PLF that you are in transit and therefore won't be supplying a day2 booking reference. If you were on one ticket then there will not be a problem, but you do risk the check-in agents being picky about this.
Oct 7, 2021, 10:55 pm
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I fly Etihad, Shanghai to Abu Dhabi at 22:20 on Tuesday 30th Nov, then Abu Dhabi to Heathrow at 07:05 on Wednesday 1st Dec. My understanding of the UK regulations was that I would have to take my pre departure PCR test on the Sunday to comply with the 3 day limit for my AUH to LHR section, this is proving impossible at the moment. Now, after re-reading the regulations it actually states "If you’re travelling by plane and changing flights, where possible you should get a test within 3 days of your final departure point to England". So would I get away with taking a test 4 days before the AUH to LHR flight....
Oct 7, 2021, 11:40 pm
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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If vaccinated by a Relevant Country you don't need a pre-departure test at all. See post 11442. Just a PLF and Day 2 booking, depending on the details. Always good to get yourself tested before getting on an aircraft.