NEW COVID testing requirements for travel to England from October 2021

[phabric]

Thanks for the update.

 

Please keep us posted on any new changes.

[want2go]

On 11/29/2021 at 1:41 AM, Cotswold Eagle said:

I had not updated this thread as someone started another one. 
 

The changes come into force from 0400 Tuesday 30th and the government guidance has now been updated: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19

 

As mentioned above, the requirement is now for a PCR test on or before the 2nd day. Lateral flow (rapid tests) will no longer be sufficient. This test must be booked before travel and details will be required on the passenger locator form. 
 

Self-isolation is required until the result of the test is available. This is at home or the place you are staying, and you will be allowed to travel directly there on arrival, using public transport if no alternative. You will not have to stay at the airport. 
 

Another new requirement is 10 days self-isolation if identified as a ‘close contact’ of an Omicron-variant case, regardless of vaccination status. This could include having been on a flight with a confirmed case, but I have yet to see any guidance on this. 
 

All the above supposes fully vaccinated, travelling from a non-Red List country (which at the moment consists of several countries in southern and Eastern Africa). 

So, sorry to be a little confused.  Vaccinated and flying to London from US, arrive day 1, early in morning, I must stay in hotel room until  day 2 test?

[Cotswold Eagle]

8 minutes ago, want2go said:

So, sorry to be a little confused.  Vaccinated and flying to London from US, arrive day 1, early in morning, I must stay in hotel room until  day 2 test?

 A ‘Day 2’ test can be taken any time up to and including Day 2 - it’s possible to have one done at the airport on arrival and, for a more expensive fee, get the results in hours. 
 

Your arrival day is Day 0, not Day 1 - and the regulation works in days, not a period of 48 hours. But yes, you must self-isolate wherever you are staying until you receive a negative test result. 
 

So, for example:

Arrive Thursday morning - Day 0

Saturday is Day 2, you must have completed a test by the end of the day. 
Results may take 48 hours, depending on supplier, so you may need to isolate until results received on Monday. 
 

More expensively:

Arrive Thursday morning - Day 0. Take test at airport. Receive results Thursday evening, free to go out and about if negative. 

[Cotswold Eagle]

A breaking news update - from Tuesday 7th December the requirement for a pre-departure test is being reintroduced for all travellers. 
 

News outlets are reporting this can be either a PCR or lateral flow, but I have seen no official confirmation. It would make sense, as this would extend the current requirements for non-vaccinated travellers, who must take a test within three days of travel. 

Edited December 4, 2021 by Cotswold Eagle

[phabric]

Thanks for keeping us updated.  Keep the updates coming.
🇨🇦
 

 

[frankp01]

Thanks for the update. I had also heard about the additional test requirement from our friend in London. I have booked the lateral flow test (referred to as a rapid antigen test over here) for the day before we fly. I certainly hope, when the official word comes out, that a PCR test is not required. It's virtually impossible to get PCR results in fewer than 2 days here unless you pay an exorbitant fee..

[Cotswold Eagle]

13 minutes ago, frankp01 said:

fly. I certainly hope, when the official word comes out, that a PCR test is not required

Official guidance has been updated , and it does appear they will just extend the existing requirement for PCR or Lateral Flow Device (rapid antigen) to everyone :

 

From 4am, Tuesday 7 December all people aged 12 years and over must take a PCR or LFD COVID-19 test before they travel to England from abroad.

You must take the test within the 2 days before you travel to England.

This will apply whether you qualify as fully vaccinated or not.

Some people, including children aged 11 and under are exempt from taking the test.

Edited December 4, 2021 by Cotswold Eagle

[phabric]

Any word if we still need to have the Day 2 test?

[want2go]

On 11/30/2021 at 3:42 PM, Cotswold Eagle said:

 A ‘Day 2’ test can be taken any time up to and including Day 2 - it’s possible to have one done at the airport on arrival and, for a more expensive fee, get the results in hours. 
 

Your arrival day is Day 0, not Day 1 - and the regulation works in days, not a period of 48 hours. But yes, you must self-isolate wherever you are staying until you receive a negative test result. 
 

So, for example:

Arrive Thursday morning - Day 0

Saturday is Day 2, you must have completed a test by the end of the day. 
Results may take 48 hours, depending on supplier, so you may need to isolate until results received on Monday. 
 

More expensively:

Arrive Thursday morning - Day 0. Take test at airport. Receive results Thursday evening, free to go out and about if negative. 

Thanks so much for the additional explanation! Sure pray things get much better before July.

 

[Cotswold Eagle]

On 12/4/2021 at 10:55 PM, phabric said:

Any word if we still need to have the Day 2 test?

Yes, that requirement remains. 

[phabric]

Thanks, maybe by the time I go it might have changed.

 

Please keep us posted.

[Harters]

Entry requirements have tightened.

 

You still need to get a pre-flight test which can be lateral flow or PCR. And you still need to get a pre-booked test after arrival by Day 2 (and isolate until you receive a negative result). The change is that this now needs to be a PCR test.

 

Details on the government website:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19

Edited December 11, 2021 by Harters

[ncgolferette]

Thanks for starting this thread!  The new requirements seem so complicated for travelers.    My question is-

1. flying to London on a Sunday evening arriving Heathrow Monday morning - it appears that the earliest I can have a departure test would be Saturday.

 

2.  arriving London Monday morning -  can I go directly to a testing facility for the PCR test.  Found a lab that does a morning test and results back by 22 00 hours. 
 

3. After the test can I sightsee?  What if the room at the  hotel I have booked is not ready til later in the afternoon? Where do I quarantee?

 

4.  Will go to Southampton on Wednesday to board ship leaving UK. I assume that even being in London from Monday to Wednesday all the rules apply.

[cruise kitty]

Really appreciate this thread!   I'll need to make a decision soon, was planning on deciding our pre cruise stay in May between London & Rome...  however, it's looking as if my simplest option will be do just add on another Italian city for pre cruise... 

 

Am I correct in thinking that if I'm flying to LHR & then getting on flight to FCO, I will only need to test the day before my flight?    At LHR I would be considered to be "in transit"

 

Thank you!

[Cotswold Eagle]

On 12/12/2021 at 7:49 PM, cruise kitty said:

Really appreciate this thread!   I'll need to make a decision soon, was planning on deciding our pre cruise stay in May between London & Rome...  however, it's looking as if my simplest option will be do just add on another Italian city for pre cruise... 

 

Am I correct in thinking that if I'm flying to LHR & then getting on flight to FCO, I will only need to test the day before my flight?    At LHR I would be considered to be "in transit"

 

Thank you!

Broadly speaking, yes, but different requirements for airside and landside (eg if you need to collect baggage and check in for the second flight) transit, around the locator form. The official guidance is here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-air-travel-guidance-for-passengers#transiting-through-england

 

But May is an eternity away for travel regulations these days. The likelihood that they will be the same in both England and Italy by then is vanishingly small!

Edited December 14, 2021 by Cotswold Eagle

[cruise kitty]

1 minute ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

Broadly speaking, yes, but different requirements for airside and landside (eg if you need to collect baggage and check in for the second flight) transit, around the locator form. The official guidance is here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-air-travel-guidance-for-passengers#transiting-through-england

Thank you, both flights are with British Air, on one ticket, so we should not have to collect our luggage, thank goodness.  We will be considered "Airside Transit"  As much as I really wanted to show my husband around London, it seems like a much better option to go on to Italy immediately, & not have to do any quarantine or tracing.    

 

This leaves me with just getting tested before we fly out, & then testing again 1 or 2 days before our cruise...  I'll take along some eMed tests to do before cruise,  & if for some reason they don't work, Rome seems to have lots of rapid test places.

 

Of course, I'm trying to be optimistic & fingers crossed that none of this will be necessary by May... one can hope!

 

Thanks again for all your great information & help!

 

 

[68Blackjack]

So if I am arriving at Heathrow on Saturday morning and boarding my cruise Sunday morning, I will not even be in England 48 hours. Do I still have to get a day 2 test? 

[cruise kitty]

12 hours ago, 68Blackjack said:

So if I am arriving at Heathrow on Saturday morning and boarding my cruise Sunday morning, I will not even be in England 48 hours. Do I still have to get a day 2 test? 

it looks to me like you would fall under "landslide transit". you would fill out the passenger locator, but if you were traveling from airport to a Portside hotel, then no to the second test.... at least that's my interpretation of the rules.  

[comcox]

On 12/14/2021 at 12:56 AM, 68Blackjack said:

So if I am arriving at Heathrow on Saturday morning and boarding my cruise Sunday morning, I will not even be in England 48 hours. Do I still have to get a day 2 test? 

This is the statement from the current U.K. government website: If you’re in England for less than 2 days, you still need to book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test. You must quarantine until you receive a negative test result, or until you leave England, whichever is sooner.

 

You have to fill out a Passenger Locator Form online prior to arrival and that form requires the code from your pre-paid day-2 test.

 

Here is the website for more information: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae

 

Edited December 18, 2021 by comcox

[Cotswold Eagle]

3 hours ago, comcox said:

This is the statement from the current U.K. government website: If you’re in England for less than 2 days

That’s true, but there is separate guidance relating to passengers doing landside transit, who would also be in England less than two days. There is some ambiguity, to be charitable, so it’s very difficult to provide any firm advice at this stage. 
 

 

[Cotswold Eagle]

Here we ago, the requirements for fully vaccinated passengers entering England are changing again in the next few days. 
 

From Friday (7th January), there is no need to take any form of test before travelling and no quarantine on arrival. The Day 2 test requirement stays in force. 
 

From Sunday (9th January) the Day 2 test requirement changes to a lateral flow (rapid antigen) test. Only if this is positive will you need to self-isolate and take a PCR test to confirm. 
 

Updated guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19 

[cruise kitty]

50 minutes ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

Here we ago, the requirements for fully vaccinated passengers entering England are changing again in the next few days. 
 

From Friday (7th January), there is no need to take any form of test before travelling and no quarantine on arrival. The Day 2 test requirement stays in force. 
 

From Sunday (9th January) the Day 2 test requirement changes to a lateral flow (rapid antigen) test. Only if this is positive will you need to self-isolate and take a PCR test to confirm. 
 

Updated guidance here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19 

thank you for the update!

[phabric]

Thanks for the update.

[Cotswold Eagle]

Latest update. The government announced today that from 11th February there will be no need for a Day 2 test after arrival in England for those who are fully vaccinated. That means no testing requirements at all remain for these passengers. 
 

The only remaining requirement will be to complete a passenger locator form, regardless of vaccination status. 

UPDATE: The government webpage has been updated with these changes:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19

 

 

Edited January 24, 2022 by Cotswold Eagle

[phabric]

That is great news for my May cruise.

 

Your count must be going down.

 

Now I have to wait to see if Princess will be doing a Covid test at Southampton dock on embarkment day like they did for last year’s cruises.

 

Please keep us updated.

Edited January 24, 2022 by phabric