Covid-19: Rules for travel to England from abroad change on December 7
From December 7 at 4am GMT, everyone aged 12 years and over must take a PCR or LFD Covid-19 test within two days before they travel to England from abroad, according to a statement on the UK government website, issued against the background of concerns about the Omicron variant.
This will apply whether you qualify as fully vaccinated or not, the statement said.
Some people, including children aged 11 and under are exempt from taking the test.
Before you travel to England you must:
- book and pay for a Covid-19 PCR test – to be taken after you arrive in England
- complete a passenger locator form – to be completed in the 48 hours before you arrive in England.
You cannot use an NHS test for your PCR test. You must use a private test provider, the statement said.
You will need to enter your Covid-19 test booking reference number on your passenger locator form.
If you are in England for less than two days, you still need to book and pay for a day two Covid-19 test. You must quarantine until you receive a negative day two Covid-19 PCR test, or until you leave England, whichever is sooner.
After you arrive in England you must take a COVID-19 PCR test. This is the test that you booked before travel.
You can take the test any time after you arrive and before the end of day 2 at the latest. The day you arrive is day 0.
You must quarantine in your home or the place you are staying while you await your test result.
If your test result is negative, you can end your quarantine.
If your test result is positive, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day of the test is day 0.
If your test result is unclear, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day you took the test is day 0.
If your test result is unclear, you can choose to take another private test. If the result of that test is negative, you can stop self-isolating.
If your PCR test result is delayed, you must quarantine until you receive a negative test result or until day 14 after arrival, whichever is sooner.
To qualify under the fully vaccinated rules for travel to England, you must have proof of full vaccination with a full course of an approved vaccine.
You must have had your final dose of the vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in England. The day you had your final dose does not count as one of the 14 days.
The proof of vaccination must have been issued by either:
- the UK vaccination programme
- the United Nations vaccine programme for staff and volunteers
- an overseas vaccination programme with an approved proof of vaccination for travel to the UK.
Further details are available at this link.
(Photo: bugdog/sxc.hu)
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