How to get a test to come back to the UK
From Monday 15th February, anyone flying to the UK (with a handful of exceptions) needs a recent, negative PCR test before they board, followed by two more tests while in self-isolation. Here's everything you need to know.
What are the new test rules
Update: 9th Feb. From Monday 18th January, anyone entering the UK (with a handful of exceptions) is required to have taken a recent, negative Covid test before they return. You need to take the test 72 hours before you fly. Without it you may be denied boarding, and if you arrive without a valid test you can be fined £500.
For more information see the government website.
And two more tests once home?
From 15th February, the testing regime is being considerbly expanded. From then on, anyone returmning to the UK (again, with a handful of exceptions) must take a test at their own expense on days two and eight of self-isolation before they can end their quarantine.
Book your holiday extras early.
It pays to book your airport parking, airport hotel or your lounge as soon as you book your flights. Prices usually go up nearer the date you fly, and last year Holiday Extras saved our airport parking customers £100 each on average when they pre-booked their airport parking instead of paying on the day.
What sort of test do I need?
Before you set off, a negative (yes, really!) Covid test taken no more than 72 hours before you fly The test must "meet performance standards of 97% specificity, 80% sensitivity at viral loads above 100,000 copies/ml", and the government says that PCR, LAMP or antigen tests may meet those standards.
What else do I need to do?
You still need to complete the Passenger Locator Form, and self-isolate for 10 days when you return.
Any other complications I need to know about?
There's also a "red list" of countries from which international travel is banned, in the hope of keeping out new strains of the virus.
British citizens who find themselves returning from these countries can obviously come home, but from 15th February there's a mandatory 10-day quarantine at a government-approved hotel.
The list of countries is currently limited to South America, sub-Saharan Afrcia plus two outliers UAE (Dubai) and Portugal. Since in lockdown non-essential travel is prohibited, it should be fairly easy for most people to avoid coming home from any of these from 15th Feb onwards, at least until something changes.
Same rules across the devolved nations?
Not quite. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has indicated that travellers returning to Scotland from anywhere except the rest of the UK and Ireland will need to go into "managed isolation" (appearing to imply quarantine at a government-mandated hotel, much like the English red-list scheme). This is expected to apply to direct flights into Scotland from anywhere, not just the English red list. However there are relatively few direct overseas flights arriving in Scotland during the current lockdown, so only a handful of people are likely to be affected. Anyone arriving in Wales from outside the Common Travel Area (UK, Channel Islands and Ireland) must self-isolate for 10 days.
Need a Covid test?
We've got the right test for every country at every major UK airport. See our guide to make sure you get the test you need for your next trip.
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Who's exempt from testing to come into England?
- Children under 11
- People coming in from the Common Travel Area (The Republic of Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands); Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales; the Falklands, Ascension Islands and St Helena
- Until Thursday 21st January, people coming in from Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia or Barbados
- People working in haulage, shipping or air crew
- People coming for, or accompanying someone coming for, urgent medical treatment
- People medically exempt
What if I can't / don't take a test?
You may be denied boarding, and fined £500 on arrival if you do manage to travel without a test. If you're not sure whether the place you're going will be able to offer an adequate test, the government is very clear that's on you - so best check before you set off that the tests are available so you can come back.
What if I test positive?
You'll need to change your flights and arrange your own accommodation to isolate in place, obeying local regulations on the matter, until you get a negative result, at which point you'll be allowed to come back. Very far from ideal, we know, and only really possible because so few people are overseas right now given the lockdown regulations. The expectation in the travel industry is that the rules will change to something more manageable once lockdown ends and international travel spins back up.
And is there any good news?
At time of writing we have the third-highest vaccination rate in the world and a clear path out of lockdown. Prime Minister Boris Johnson expects to announce the next steps for leaving lockdown on 22nd February. And if you're looking forward to getting on a plane as soon as lockdown ends, below is a big list of places thaty'll be happy to have you - without an onerous quarantine at either end of yor trip. So hang in there! It'll be summer, and we'll all be back on a beach, before you know it.
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