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]
Dec 3, 2021, 1:32 am
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,654
In a bit of a pickle, flying back to LHR arriving into T5 around 7pm on Tuesday with no appointments with ExpressTest available (for Day 2 PCR result by midnight next day) and I need to be out of isolation by end of day Wednesday. Hasu isn't an option as they'll already be closed by the time I arrive too. Will my only option be a much more expensive same day test taken on Wednesday?
Edit: Arrival 19:25, there's a slot at T3 but I can't see myself getting there before they close and the latest slot I can book is 19:40 anyway. If there's any delay at passport control or with the flight then it's money down the drain. I'm thinking I'll just have to front up first thing the next morning and hope that the results come in later that night (they have for me in the past when I've done fit to fly tests with them at my local walk in centre).
Edit: Arrival 19:25, there's a slot at T3 but I can't see myself getting there before they close and the latest slot I can book is 19:40 anyway. If there's any delay at passport control or with the flight then it's money down the drain. I'm thinking I'll just have to front up first thing the next morning and hope that the results come in later that night (they have for me in the past when I've done fit to fly tests with them at my local walk in centre).
Dec 3, 2021, 1:49 am
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 597
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-q...ive-in-england
New rules for fully vaccinated arrivals
If you are fully vaccinated and arrive in England from a country that is not on the red list, you:
- must quarantine at home or in the place you’re staying
- take a PCR test before the end of day 2 after you arrive (lateral flow tests will not be accepted)
- can end quarantine if your PCR test result is negative
Dec 3, 2021, 2:08 am
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Finland
Posts: 1,212
In a bit of a pickle, flying back to LHR arriving into T5 around 7pm on Tuesday with no appointments with ExpressTest available (for Day 2 PCR result by midnight next day) and I need to be out of isolation by end of day Wednesday. Hasu isn't an option as they'll already be closed by the time I arrive too. Will my only option be a much more expensive same day test taken on Wednesday?
Also if anyone has used these, it says it is closed after 7pm, does this mean you can't get the test at that point (because it also says tests taken between 6 and 9 pm have results by 0800 folowing day...)
Dec 3, 2021, 2:10 am
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,964
That is YOUR interpretation. The following is on an official UK government site:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-q...ive-in-england
New rules for fully vaccinated arrivals
If you are fully vaccinated and arrive in England from a country that is not on the red list, you:
- must quarantine at home or in the place you’re staying
- take a PCR test before the end of day 2 after you arrive (lateral flow tests will not be accepted)
- can end quarantine if your PCR test result is negative
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-q...ive-in-england
New rules for fully vaccinated arrivals
If you are fully vaccinated and arrive in England from a country that is not on the red list, you:
- must quarantine at home or in the place you’re staying
- take a PCR test before the end of day 2 after you arrive (lateral flow tests will not be accepted)
- can end quarantine if your PCR test result is negative
As I said, I don't really care what you did or how you choose to justify it, but please do not kid yourself that it is within the law.
Dec 3, 2021, 2:32 am
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: 63,804
These guys perhaps? https://www.haloverify.com/heathrow-t5/
Also if anyone has used these, it says it is closed after 7pm, does this mean you can't get the test at that point (because it also says tests taken between 6 and 9 pm have results by 0800 folowing day...)
Also if anyone has used these, it says it is closed after 7pm, does this mean you can't get the test at that point (because it also says tests taken between 6 and 9 pm have results by 0800 folowing day...)
For Halo in the Sofitel, the obvious thing to do is to go straight home on arrival, then return to T5 first thing the next morning, so that you should be clear by the evening. They offer a 5 hour service (so they must be using the cassette system) with various cut offs, but an 8 am test should be fine for the evening.
As ever clear data points as to delivery times will help other readers, there tends to be more questions than answers on things like this, so always good to share actual experiences.
Dec 3, 2021, 2:45 am
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
Thanks all, lines up with what I thought. Will have a think. Meant to be flying to France tomorrow but it looks like a change in regs is about to drop, so might be academic in the end.
Dec 3, 2021, 2:52 am
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
I think your interpretation of those words is reasonable, but those words don't accurately reflect the legislation. If they said "a valid PCR test" you would presumably be looking what "valid" meant, and discover that certain tests were excluded.
At the moment you probably have a reasonable defence, but that isn't the same as complying with the legislation and avoiding possible prosecution.
At the moment you probably have a reasonable defence, but that isn't the same as complying with the legislation and avoiding possible prosecution.
Dec 3, 2021, 3:03 am
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: 63,804
What counts is the law, not guidance. though guidance does have a role to play, potentially. There is primary law, which is usually a model of clarity and is subject to careful scrutiny by MPs and the House of Lords - particularly the latter in reality. In this case the Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984. This primary legislation then permits (or enables to use the exact term) statutory instruments to be issued by ministers, these have virtually no scrutiny, though parliamentarians do have the right to do so if they kick up enough fuss. Usually, like the rest of us, they really don't want the hassle. In the travel area there is a long series of SIs called the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) Regulations 2020. This gets amended every few days with Red list countries and redefinitions. It is not an easy read.
Now just putting up SI on the internet isn't going to work, it would genuinely cause more problems than it is worth, so the government uses guidance, written in straightforward English, usually written by communication specialists - not lawyers. There is a strong bias to use simple language and terminology (in fact the word terminology is in the banned word list!). For most people, who have very straightforward travel requirements this is good enough - they are going to get one PCR test, from an authorised supplier and even the postal kits rarely take more than 48 hours. So most people, on their once a year holiday or off to see relatives at Christmas, face just a night or two of self isolation and in that context the guidance is clear and accurate.
Now FT tends to attract a different demographic of travellers, which is fine, but if you are trying to nitpick your way through all the rules, you have to get away from government guidance and off to the statutory instruments. Now where you may have a point is that actually there have been very few court cases in this area, this is mostly a consent process, and a "words of advice" process from police officers. Police officers won't have read the statutory instruments. So in the highly unlikely event that you effectively use 2 PCRs to get around the legislation, then by showing the guidance this is likely to lead to a conversation with a more senior police officer which would run something like: "we probably won't be taking the matter further, but if can give you words of advice, based on years of experience with how prosecutions work, I strongly advice you not to try that stunt again, having a criminal record will really get in the way of your everyday life". This scenario is realistic if you end up with a positive result - your paperwork is likely to be checked at that point.
It's all a non issue, there are now 5 hour and 12 hour tests available, and more will surely follow.
Dec 3, 2021, 3:06 am
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Kent, UK
Programs: M&S Elite+
Posts: 3,654
I think your interpretation of those words is reasonable, but those words don't accurately reflect the legislation. If they said "a valid PCR test" you would presumably be looking what "valid" meant, and discover that certain tests were excluded.
At the moment you probably have a reasonable defence, but that isn't the same as complying with the legislation and avoiding possible prosecution.
At the moment you probably have a reasonable defence, but that isn't the same as complying with the legislation and avoiding possible prosecution.
Dec 3, 2021, 3:47 am
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: SW London
Programs: BAEC Silver; Hilton Diamond;a miscellany of other hotel non-statuses
Posts: 3,607
COVID travel legislation is badly thought through as we have seen in a number of other situations. The guidance is at best vague and arguably misleading. However it is official government guidance. When you think about he people arriving this morning who will be in pubs by lunchtime with little chance of any comeback I just don't see that people that push what is acceptable testing being any sort of priority for action by the government. I do not think the government would want this legislation tested in the courts.
At the moment people are erring one way or the other, and if a few people were told they were going to be prosecuted to test the law it would probably change behaviour even though the underlying medical risks, etc would be the same.
Dec 3, 2021, 3:53 am
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,237
I was going to suggest that too, and there are now some "same day" or "12 hour" sites in Central London (e.g. CityDoc).
For Halo in the Sofitel, the obvious thing to do is to go straight home on arrival, then return to T5 first thing the next morning, so that you should be clear by the evening. They offer a 5 hour service (so they must be using the cassette system) with various cut offs, but an 8 am test should be fine for the evening.
As ever clear data points as to delivery times will help other readers, there tends to be more questions than answers on things like this, so always good to share actual experiences.
For Halo in the Sofitel, the obvious thing to do is to go straight home on arrival, then return to T5 first thing the next morning, so that you should be clear by the evening. They offer a 5 hour service (so they must be using the cassette system) with various cut offs, but an 8 am test should be fine for the evening.
As ever clear data points as to delivery times will help other readers, there tends to be more questions than answers on things like this, so always good to share actual experiences.
The one thing to remember is that you need the HALO app.
Dec 3, 2021, 5:11 am
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 597
I think your interpretation of those words is reasonable, but those words don't accurately reflect the legislation. If they said "a valid PCR test" you would presumably be looking what "valid" meant, and discover that certain tests were excluded.
At the moment you probably have a reasonable defence, but that isn't the same as complying with the legislation and avoiding possible prosecution.
At the moment you probably have a reasonable defence, but that isn't the same as complying with the legislation and avoiding possible prosecution.
I don't disagree, but I don't think it's the point that is being (overly) analysed. Prosecution or not doesn't fundamentally change the legality of their actions, just as if you drive at 40mph (30mph limit for oversea's readers) in most UK residential streets it doesn't become legal just because you aren't spotted and prosecuted. Which leads nicely to the analogy that many people driving at 80mph on a UK motorway (70mph limit) are observed and not prosecuted.
At the moment people are erring one way or the other, and if a few people were told they were going to be prosecuted to test the law it would probably change behaviour even though the underlying medical risks, etc would be the same.
At the moment people are erring one way or the other, and if a few people were told they were going to be prosecuted to test the law it would probably change behaviour even though the underlying medical risks, etc would be the same.
Last edited by NewbieRunner; Dec 3, 2021 at 9:59 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by same member
Dec 3, 2021, 5:26 am
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,364
Formally, yes, in the sense that obscurity or lack of understanding of the law is not, as a rule (there are exceptions), a valid defence to non-compliance. That said, as pointed out by CWS, when it comes to enforcement, one can expect a reasonably sympathetic approach form the police (even assuming that it ever comes to that, which is at the unlikely end of the spectrum, I would have thought), at any rate as long as you do not come out all guns blazing at them in an obstreperous manner.
This is a very poor analogy. Yes, the guidance could be better drafted and there is ambiguity in there that could be removed, in the sense that it could explicitly state that the negative result must be a negative result to a prescribed Day 2 test. But it certainly does not say that the "liberating" negative result is from a PCR test other than the prescribed Day 2 test, which is what would be required for your 40mph/30mph analogy to work.
This is a very poor analogy. Yes, the guidance could be better drafted and there is ambiguity in there that could be removed, in the sense that it could explicitly state that the negative result must be a negative result to a prescribed Day 2 test. But it certainly does not say that the "liberating" negative result is from a PCR test other than the prescribed Day 2 test, which is what would be required for your 40mph/30mph analogy to work.
Last edited by NewbieRunner; Dec 3, 2021 at 10:01 am Reason: Merge consecutive posts by same member
Dec 3, 2021, 6:55 am
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: LON, between FAB and EGTD
Programs: OWS - AA Lifetime Platinum, BA nobody (blue)
Posts: 864
Forgetting the speed limit analogy for a minute, here is a real world report on Collinson's Day 2 PCR.
Test taken at LHR Newall Rd. test centre just before 9 on Wednesday morning, straight from a JFK arrival. Promise of result in 36 - 48 hours. Result arrived by email just now, after about 53 hours.
It's the first time in my experience Collinson hasn't been bang on the money.
Test taken at LHR Newall Rd. test centre just before 9 on Wednesday morning, straight from a JFK arrival. Promise of result in 36 - 48 hours. Result arrived by email just now, after about 53 hours.
It's the first time in my experience Collinson hasn't been bang on the money.
Dec 3, 2021, 7:03 am
Join Date: Oct 2017
Programs: DL Plat
Posts: 352
I havent seen this mentioned, but how does self isolating on arrival while waiting for test results work if hotel check in time is later in the day?