Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in the UK from 4am on 11th February 2022, will no longer be required to take a post-arrival PCR or lateral flow test.
This means that fully vaccinated arrivals will now only have to complete a Passenger Locator Form upon their arrival to the UK, as part of the Covid travel measures.
What’s more, UK arrivals who are not fully vaccinated will no longer be required to take a day eight PCR test or self-isolate. They are still, however, required to take a PCR test on day two of their arrival, as well as provide a negative pre-departure test before their departure to the UK.
Those aged 18 and under will continue to be treated as fully-vaccinated passengers, which means that they will not have to comply any testing measures. From the 3rd February 2022, children aged 12-15 in England will be able to provide evidence of their vaccination status through the NHS Covid pass. This can be used for international travel.
The announcement comes just in time for the February half-term break, which is great news for UK families hoping to get away in the coming weeks.
The news has also been celebrated by the travel industry. Already, tour operators have seen an increase in traffic to their websites, with many people taking the opportunity to book a well-deserved holiday abroad. Jet2 has reported that popular holiday destinations including the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Spain, Italy, and Portugal are “selling strongly”, meanwhile places such as Greece, Turkey and Cyprus are “seeing enormous growth”.
While this is fantastic news for those looking forward to a trip abroad, it is essential that travellers continue to monitor the entry requirements for the destination they intend to visit. Just because the UK is easing restrictions, doesn’t mean other countries are too!
Failure to arrive at a destination without the correct documentation is not something a travel insurance provider will cover, and anyone found in these circumstances will be responsible for covering the cost of a new flight, accommodation, and/or emergency documentation.
It is important that travellers fully understand the necessary documentation required to enter a country, whether that is proof of a vaccine status, the results of a PCR test, a visa, etc. Travellers can keep up-to-date with the latest travel guidance for their trip destination on the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) website.
As always, we’re here to help with all things travel-insurance-related. So, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us at hello@travelinsuranceexplained.co.uk, and our team will do their very best to assist!
