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, Ł160, but same package sold directly bu Source Bioscience is just Ł120. 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 Ł18.99. 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 22, 2020, 11:59 am
#481
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,465
I did put a link up a few posts back, but I suspect that will now fairly quickly disappear into obscurity, so it’s here:
https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coron....html#arriving
Clearly this is designed for passengers in genuine transit, but it seems extremely unlikely that if you arrived from Europe with an onward flight ticket to the UK that you wouldn’t just be pushed back airside as quickly as possible.
What’s somewhat more unclear is what happens if, say, you arrived at LHR from a non-CTA destination, flew to DUB then turned around and came back. You’d have to pass through an immigration stage to go to Ireland, but you wouldn’t be entering the UK ...
May 22, 2020, 12:00 pm
#482
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kazakhstan
Programs: BA Gold, AirAstana Silver (much use as chocolate teapot)
Posts: 867
I can’t help but feel a Ł100 fine for not filling the form in, presumably therefore making an individual pretty much untraceable if they just produce ID sufficient to prove they must be admitted as a UK citizen but without linking their address, is not going to a barrier compared to the fine of 10x that for breaking the quarantine.
If a business-critical trip was necessary that business would probably be perfectly happy to cover the fine rather than lose their employee for two weeks, I’d suggest. The other option is creative routings via Ireland.
But in terms of receiving visitors - oh dear ...
If a business-critical trip was necessary that business would probably be perfectly happy to cover the fine rather than lose their employee for two weeks, I’d suggest. The other option is creative routings via Ireland.
But in terms of receiving visitors - oh dear ...
May 22, 2020, 12:04 pm
#483
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: 63,684
Here is the list of exemptions from the requirement to self-isolate, it's, um, quite long.
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...k-border-rules
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...k-border-rules
Originally Posted by Border Force UK
- a road haulage worker and road passenger transport worker
- a transit passenger, an individual transiting to a country outside of the Common Travel Area, who remains airside and does not pass border control
- an individual arriving to attend pre-arranged treatment, when receiving that treatment in the UK. Healthcare means all forms of healthcare including mental and physical health. There are also exemptions for live donors and those accompanying the individual, for example a carer or a child
- a registered health or care professional travelling to the UK to provide essential healthcare, including where this is not related to coronavirus
- a person who has travelled to the UK for the purpose of transporting, to a healthcare provider in the UK, material which consists of, or includes, human cells or blood which are to be used for the purpose of providing healthcare
- qualified persons and responsible persons for human medicines, clinical trials and pharmacovigilance
- quality assurance inspectors for human medicines
- sponsors and essential persons needed for clinical trials or studies
- civil aviation inspectors engaged on inspection duties
- Eurotunnel train drivers and crew, Eurotunnel Shuttle drivers, freight train drivers, crew and essential cross-border rail freight workers operating through the Channel Tunnel
- a Euratom inspector
- workers engaged in essential or emergency works, related to water supplies and sewerage services
- workers engaged in essential or emergency works related to a generating system, an electricity interconnector, a district heat network, communal heating, automated ballast cleaning and track re-laying systems or network
- a worker undertaking activities in offshore installations, upstream petroleum infrastructure, critical safety work on offshore installations and wells that are being decommissioned or which are being preserved pending demolition or reuse or activities for the provision of workers, goods, materials or equipment or in the provision of other essential services required to support the safe operation of activities
- workers engaged in essential or emergency works, including those carried out by specialist rail maintenance technicians employed on the national rail infrastructure as part of a specialist team with Network Rail
- drivers and crew of trains operated by Eurostar International Limited, essential cross-border workers working for Eurostar International Limited
- operational, rail maintenance, security and safety workers working on the Channel Tunnel system
- a worker with specialist technical skills, where those specialist technical skills are required for essential or emergency works or services (including commissioning, maintenance, and repairs and safety checks) to ensure the continued production, supply, movement, manufacture, storage or preservation of goods
- a worker with specialist technical skills, where those specialist technical skills are required for essential or emergency works (including commissioning, maintenance, repairs and safety checks) or to fulfil contractual obligations or warranty specifications in, or in connection with, waste management facilities used for the management, sorting, treatment, recovery, or disposal of waste (including energy from waste)
- a worker with specialist technical skills, where those specialist technical skills are required for essential or emergency works to ensure the continued safe and secure operations of the following infrastructure:
- gas and electricity transmission and distribution networks and system operators
- gas terminals
- space infrastructure
- seamen and masters
- a pilot, as defined in paragraph 22(1) of Schedule 3A to the Merchant Shipping Act
- an inspector, and surveyor of ships
- crew, as defined in paragraph 1 of Schedule 1 to the Air Navigation Order 2016(h), where such crew have travelled to the UK in the course of their work
- nuclear personnel who are essential to the safe and secure operations of a licensed nuclear site
- nuclear emergency responder
- agency inspector
- an inspector from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, a specialist aerospace engineer, or a specialist aerospace worker
- a person engaged in operational, maintenance or safety activities of a downstream oil facility that has a capacity in excess of 20,000 tonnes
- a postal worker involved in the transport of mail into and out of the UK
- a person involved in essential maintenance and repair of data infrastructure required to reduce and resolve outages, or in the provision of goods and services to support these activities
- an information technology or telecommunications professional whose expertise is required to provide an essential or emergency response to threats and incidents relating to the security of any network and information system and ensure the continued operation of any network and information system
- a person who is engaged in urgent or essential work on electronic communications networks
- a person who is engaged in urgent or essential work for the BBC’s broadcasting transmission network and services
- a seasonal agricultural worker who has an offer of employment for seasonal work to carry out specific activities in edible horticulture on a named farm. You can start work immediately but you must self-isolate on the farm. However, you may mix with fellow workers
- members of diplomatic missions and consular posts in the United Kingdom, officers, servants or representatives of international organisations where their head of mission or equivalent has certified that their work is essential to the functioning of the mission and cannot be undertaken whilst the person is complying with the requirements of self-isolation
- crown servants or government contractors returning to the United Kingdom who are either:
- required to undertake policing or essential government work in the United Kingdom within 14 days of their arrival
- have been undertaking policing or essential government work outside of the United Kingdom but are required to return temporarily, after which they will depart to conduct policing or essential government work outside the United Kingdom. Essential government work includes, in particular, work related to national security and immigration, the coronavirus disease and any other crisis response, and international negotiations
- international prison escorts - a person designated by the relevant Minister under section 5(3) of the Repatriation of Prisoners Act 1984(a)
- a person responsible for escorting a person sought for extradition pursuant to a warrant issued under Part 3 of the Extradition Act 2003 or sought for extradition pursuant to any other extradition arrangements
- defence personnel and contractors doing work necessary for the delivery of essential Defence activities, including Visiting Forces and NATO
- an official required to work on essential border security duties
- a person who resides in the UK and who pursues an activity as an employed or self-employed person in another country to which they usually go at least once a week
May 22, 2020, 12:05 pm
#484
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 94
Your passport will have your address on file. Besides it's unlikely BA will run a meaningful service, if anything it will be bare bones to any country willing to accept flyers.
Sadly any leisure/business travel is now restricted to the unemployed, self-employed & anyone lucky enough to be working from home. Hopefully with any luck there's "exemption" list soon.
Sadly any leisure/business travel is now restricted to the unemployed, self-employed & anyone lucky enough to be working from home. Hopefully with any luck there's "exemption" list soon.
Last edited by pc32435; May 22, 2020 at 12:14 pm
May 22, 2020, 12:10 pm
#485
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,465
It’s a massive unknown at the moment given, as usual, the complete lack of detail from the government.
May 22, 2020, 12:20 pm
#487
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kazakhstan
Programs: BA Gold, AirAstana Silver (much use as chocolate teapot)
Posts: 867
May 22, 2020, 12:24 pm
#488
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: 63,684
It's the Ł100 for not filling the paperwork, and then the Ł,1000 if you don't self isolate, and the failure to have the former would probably attract attention towards the latter. Making a misleading statement on paperwork would attract stiffer penalties. Quite apart from the fact that FT won't be encouraging illegal behaviour, if you are caught doing this the impact could be life changing.
May 22, 2020, 12:29 pm
#489
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kazakhstan
Programs: BA Gold, AirAstana Silver (much use as chocolate teapot)
Posts: 867
I have a fundamental problem with what is being done. I have CV19 tests on a regular basis to support going into certain locations. I know I am clear I resent not being ale to return home when I can prove I am clear. The proposed process assumes I am guilty but does not allow me to prove I am innocent.
It's wrong. Period.
It's wrong. Period.
May 22, 2020, 12:29 pm
#490
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 7,206
Here is the list of exemptions from the requirement to self-isolate, it's, um, quite long.
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...k-border-rules
https://www.gov.uk/government/public...k-border-rules
May 22, 2020, 12:33 pm
#491
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,551
Looks like there is nothing preventing transit through ROI into the UK and someone going that way? But yes I take the point of the poster who said that it's a very small number who would bother with that.
May 22, 2020, 12:35 pm
#492
Community Director
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Norwich, UK
Programs: A3*G, BA Gold, BD Gold (in memoriam), IHG Diamond Ambassador
Posts: 8,465
May 22, 2020, 12:39 pm
#493
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,345
I have a fundamental problem with what is being done. I have CV19 tests on a regular basis to support going into certain locations. I know I am clear I resent not being ale to return home when I can prove I am clear. The proposed process assumes I am guilty but does not allow me to prove I am innocent.
It's wrong. Period.
It's wrong. Period.
May 22, 2020, 12:49 pm
#494
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kazakhstan
Programs: BA Gold, AirAstana Silver (much use as chocolate teapot)
Posts: 867
I have a fundamental problem with what is being done. I have CV19 tests on a regular basis to support going into certain locations. I know I am clear I resent not being ale to return home when I can prove I am clear. The proposed process assumes I am guilty but does not allow me to prove I am innocent.
It's wrong. Period.
It's wrong. Period.
May 22, 2020, 1:00 pm
#495
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Greater Metropolitan Area
Programs: Yes
Posts: 367
And just because someone has "had it" does not mean they are immune, or couldn't spread the disease again asymptomatically. It is unlikely, especially after a recent infection, but the science is out on that. There is also a chance that someone "has had it" to a lesser extent, because of less exposure or whatever, but would still be able to get it again because of an exposure that overwhelms whatever defenses the body mounted last time.
So that shows how fraught all of the proposed alternative measures are. Why a handful of people coming in from countries with far lower infection rates is supposed to make a difference, but only from mid-June, is a different story...
