The latest government announcement brings welcome changes to the travel restrictions for England!
The current traffic light system will be simplified into one red list and ‘rest of the world’ with a reduction in the number of countries on the red (unsafe for travel) list.
From Monday 4th October 2021, if you’re fully vaccinated and travelling to a non-red list country you will no longer need to take a pre-departure test before arrival into England, and later in October the day two PCR test will be replaced with a lateral flow test.
If you qualify as fully vaccinated, you will have to:
- book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test – to be taken after arrival in England
- complete your passenger locator form – any time in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
- take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 after you arrive in England
Non-vaccinated travellers still need to quarantine at home and take two tests.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR HOLIDAY DESTINATION:
The UK government’s current traffic light system is made up of green, amber, and red destinations.
To ease your preparations for your holiday and to put your mind at rest about what you need to do to travel to both green and amber destinations; we will provide all the up-to-date information to our clients when collecting tickets, a couple of weeks prior to departure.
This information is constantly changing, and we endeavour to keep our customers up-to-date with all the current entry requirements for the country you’re travelling to as per FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office) advice and also everything you need to know about COVID testing packages, entry requirements for your return to the UK, and proving your vaccine status for travel.
However, we do suggest customers also check the entry requirements for the country they are travelling to in plenty of time before your holiday and make the necessary arrangements accordingly as the requirements on timings and the types of test accepted vary from country to country. For some countries, you may need to do this at a specific time before of your holiday; it’s very important that you adhere to the specified timing requirements.
It’s your responsibility to make sure you meet any entry requirements, including arranging and paying for tests where you’re required to do so.
You’ll find all the latest country-specific information on testing and entry requirements on the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office website >> https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice
REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR RE-ENTRY INTO THE UK:
What you need to do in preparation for coming back to the UK from your holiday destination depends on which UK country you’re a resident in, whether you’re travelling back from a green or amber country, when you’re travelling, and whether or not you’re fully vaccinated.
You’ll need to book the tests you need to take once you arrive home before your holiday begins. There’s guidance on this on the FCDO website. These tests are required even if you’re a UK citizen and you have been vaccinated. The Test to Release scheme is only in place for England.
It’s your responsibility to make sure you meet any entry requirements for returning home, including arranging and paying for tests where you’re required to do so. Here you can find the Guidance given on GOV.UK >> https://www.gov.uk/guidance/red-amber-and-green-list-rules-for-entering-england
If you don’t have evidence of a negative test result, you might not be able to board your flight home and/or could be fined on arrival. Your test result can be provided as a printed document, or an email or text message that you can show on your phone; please ensure your phone is charged for this purpose.
NB: If your pre-departure test result is positive, you must not travel, and you should follow local guidance.
UK Passenger Locator Form
Make a note of the UK Passenger Locator Form link >> https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk
as you’ll need to complete this form within the 48 hours before you arrive in the UK after you have your ‘test to return’ results, but before you check-in for your flight home. Every adult needs to complete a PLF form and any children travelling need to be added on to one adult’s form.
Once you’ve completed the PLF form and submitted it; you’ll receive an email with your QR code(s), which you’ll need to show before you board your flight home. You’ll also be able to download your completed form with your QR code(s). You’ll also need to enter your PLF reference number – a 13-digit number prefixed by ‘UKVI’ – when you check in to your flight online.
NHS APP – VACCINE STATUS
You’re fully vaccinated from 14 days after you have your second dose of a UK government-approved vaccine.
If you live in England and have been fully vaccinated, you’ll be able to demonstrate your COVID-19 vaccination status through the NHS app.
If you don’t have a Smartphone, you can call the NHS Helpline on 119 and ask for a letter to be posted to you – you must do this at least five working days after your second vaccination. Make sure you allow seven days for the letter to be received.
What happens if a destination changes to the red list whilst I’m on holiday?
Your package holiday provider will arrange for you to be repatriated before rules come into effect.
Regardless of the country category, you will need to complete a Passenger Locator Form before you return to the UK.
NB: You should still check the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) advice for individual destinations. For more information on your local travel restrictions, please refer to your local government website.
29/09/2021
