English entry rules email received today

[RubbaJohnny]

Please do not shoot the messenger and check again and with airline transit countries pre travel.

You may subscribe to their email updates. Note these rues are for England other parts of UK check again. 

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pre-departure-testing-removed-for-vaccinated-travellers?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=db9d2210-30c5-4f18-bb7b-8026ebd3eef6&utm_content=immediately

 

Pre-departure testing removed for vaccinated travellers

Testing and border measures are changing for fully eligible fully vaccinated travellers arriving in England.

By Department of Health and Social Care

Updated Jan. 05, 2022 18:45 pm

---

Press release

Testing and border measures are changing for fully eligible fully vaccinated travellers arriving in England.

 

• A lateral flow test can be used instead of PCR tests for eligible fully vaccinated travellers and over 5s to take on or before day 2
• Eligible fully vaccinated travellers and under 18s will no longer have to take a pre-departure test or self-isolate on arrival in England - returning to the travel rules that were in place before Omicron
• Omicron is the dominant variant in the UK and is spreading widely among the community

From 4am on Sunday 9 January, eligible fully vaccinated travellers and over 5s will be able to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR on or before day 2 of their arrival in England. Lateral flow tests for travel can be booked from Friday 7 January and taken upon arrival, by the end of day 2.

Eligible fully vaccinated passengers and under 18s will no longer need to take a pre-departure test or self-isolate on arrival in England from 4am on Friday 7 January but must continue to take their post-arrival tests.

As data shows Omicron is the dominant variant in the UK and spreading widely in the community it is now proportionate to cautiously reduce testing measures at the borders.

Anyone who receives a positive result on their lateral flow test must self-isolate immediately and order a NHS PCR test from gov.uk. Positive PCR tests for arrivals will be sequenced to understand if and where variants are emerging around the globe in order to protect the UK public.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said:

As we learn more about the Omicron variant it is right that we keep our testing and border measures under review to ensure they remain proportionate.

The steps we’re taking will make travel easier for people while protecting the UK public from the virus.

Omicron continues to be a serious threat and it is important that travellers continue to get tested. The most important thing anyone can do if they haven’t already is come forward for their vaccine.

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps said:

I’ve always said that we won’t keep international travel restrictions in place any longer than they are necessary to protect public health.

That’s why we’re removing the temporary, extra testing measures we introduced for Omicron in November, making travel easier and cheaper for fully vaccinated passengers and providing a big boost for the travel industry as we enter the peak new year booking period.

We want to provide more certainty to passengers and businesses, and will do a full review of our international travel measures for 2022 by the end of the month.

Dr Susan Hopkins UK Health Security Agency said:

It is vital anyone who receives a positive Day 2 lateral flow test self-isolates immediately and orders a PCR on gov uk. All travel PCRs with high amounts of virus are sequenced to help us understand if any new variants are emerging around the world and entering the UK.

Everyone must continue to wear face coverings where required, wash hands regularly and work from home to help stop the spread of the virus and keep our loved ones and community safe.

Lateral flow tests for international travel must be purchased from a private provider as NHS Test and Trace lateral flow tests cannot be used for international travel. Passengers who have already bought a PCR to use for travel do not need to buy another test as PCRs can still be used.

Unvaccinated passengers must continue to take a pre-departure test, PCR test on or before Day 2 and on or after Day 8 and self-isolate for 10 days. ‘Test to release’ remains an option for unvaccinated people to shorten their self-isolation period.

Proof of vaccination from over 15 further countries and territories will be accepted for entry into England from 4am on Monday 10 January: Bhutan, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Fiji, Iraq, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, north of Cyprus, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Solomon Islands, The Gambia and Uzbekistan.

The World Health Organisation has recently granted WHO Emergency Use List (EUL) authorisation to the two versions of the ‘Novavax’ vaccine named Covovax and Nuvaxovid. Therefore, eligible travellers who have received either version of this vaccine will be recognised for international travel into England from 4am on Monday 10 January.

No countries have been added to the UK travel red list, which remains on standby. A further review of all travel measures will be carried out later in the month, and our long-term goal remains to return to safe, restriction-free travel as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Notes to editors:

• PCR tests can be accessed free of charge by ordering in the usual way through NHS Test and Trace – via nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119.  Test providers will be expected to advise people to self-isolate and direct people towards the NHS Test and Trace booking page.
• This is separate to the earlier decision made by the UK Health Security Agency to temporarily suspend confirmatory PCR tests in the community in the UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/confirmatory-pcr-tests-to-be-temporarily-suspended-for-positive-lateral-flow-test-results
• Under the Test to Release scheme, unvaccinated travellers can choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test on day 5. If the result is negative (and the result of the day 2 test result is negative) they can end their quarantine.

Published 5 January 2022

 

 

Edited January 6, 2022 by RubbaJohnny

[RubbaJohnny]

Additional info in more emails emails arrived just now

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19#check-if-you-qualify-as-fully-vaccinated

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/countries-with-approved-covid-19-vaccination-programmes-and-proof-of-vaccination?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_source=0a9545d6-1214-43b7-9d24-3cd5a70a8780&utm_content=immediately

 

Guidance for othe rparts uk see links

• Guidance for Wales
• Guidance for Scotland
• Guidance for Northern Ireland

Check if you qualify as fully vaccinated

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

Check which vaccines are approved and the list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination.

Children and other groups that can follow fully vaccinated rules

Even if you are not fully vaccinated, the fully vaccinated rules apply if you are:

• under 18 - see Travelling with children in this guidance
• taking part in an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial in the UK or the USA (US residents only for USA trials), or a phase 2 or 3 vaccine trial that is regulated by the EMA or SRA

Edited January 6, 2022 by RubbaJohnny

[RAZZELL]

Thanks for that.

 

Is there a list of airline requirements? Eg. Thai Airways?

 

 

RAZZ

[RubbaJohnny]

4 hours ago, RAZZELL said:

Thanks for that.

 

Is there a list of airline requirements? Eg. Thai Airways?

 

 

RAZZ

I doubt it as such a dynamic situation.

For International Flights as rules may vary at each end, I guess only way to be sure is shortly before .

Until today you needed a test before and to be sure it was a resut in a really narrow window Test day and fly within 48 hours

Then if clear needed to pre pay book the on arrival stuff.

I will check with

1 Airports 

2 Destination Heathrow for me

3 Airline

 

At lest if flying Thai from Bangkok direct so no issue of transit in Gulf etc.

 

Sorry I cannot be of more help and not sure it'll ever be clearer.

Like most I am hoping controls will reflect lower risks/ vax and risk management.

My main issue is the dogs breakfast returning here with constant changes , uninsurable risks and Thai interpretation of rules .

I have deferred my next trip to Easter due to these factors. Of course a new variant could mean I cannot get in out or back, it has all the uncertainty excitement of dating with few of the benefits

 

 

[Eff1n2ret]

You really have to search for it, but it appears that their definition of "fully vaccinated" is still 2 doses of the appropriate vaccines, although Boris et al are running around telling everyone to "get boosted".

[RAZZELL]

6 hours ago, RubbaJohnny said:

I doubt it as such a dynamic situation.

For International Flights as rules may vary at each end, I guess only way to be sure is shortly before .

Until today you needed a test before and to be sure it was a resut in a really narrow window Test day and fly within 48 hours

Then if clear needed to pre pay book the on arrival stuff.

I will check with

1 Airports 

2 Destination Heathrow for me

3 Airline

 

At lest if flying Thai from Bangkok direct so no issue of transit in Gulf etc.

 

Sorry I cannot be of more help and not sure it'll ever be clearer.

Like most I am hoping controls will reflect lower risks/ vax and risk management.

My main issue is the dogs breakfast returning here with constant changes , uninsurable risks and Thai interpretation of rules .

I have deferred my next trip to Easter due to these factors. Of course a new variant could mean I cannot get in out or back, it has all the uncertainty excitement of dating with few of the benefits

 

 

Thanks for that. I still have a valid return on Thai Airways so will hopefully be flying with them.

 

I have had two AZ and can get a booster in the middle of Feb. So I'm looking to go around March time.

 

 

RAZZ