Travelling to the UK

Are you planning a holiday to the UK right now? There are some rules and regulations you need to be aware of, before entering the UK.

For those of you who have been following our news on social media, we've recently decided to move back to the UK this summer. We're really excited but also apprehensive of all the rules we need to follow before being permitted to freely roam around the country.

First of all, to enter the UK you need to book two mandatory Covid tests after arriving in England. These need to be paid by yourself and purchased from UK Government approved partners only like Project Screen by Prenetics.

Are you a little confused about all the rules, quarantine process and exceptions? We read extensively on the Gov UK website to ensure we follow the correct protocol. Here's what you need to know.

International Arrivals to England

Before your arrival to England, the most important thing to do is to check if your country is still on a so-called "amber list". If you've been in one of these countries in the 10 days before you arrive in England you must quarantine for 10 days and take 2 different coronavirus tests. These tests MUST be purchased before you enter the country and you must have the booking reference for your travel tests available.

The day of your arrival classes at day 0. On that day, you need to follow all national restrictions and make your way directly to your home or to the place you’re staying. You shouldn't stop anywhere along the way unless strictly necessary. Once you arrive at your destination, it's time to self-isolate.

Remember, you may need to show a negative coronavirus test result or demonstrate your vaccination status at the point of entry to the UK. It's important to regularly check the government's requirements. These are regularly updated based on daily cases.

From November 2023, British travellers to the EU must complete the ETIAS application form and apply online for a visa waiver before arriving in Europe.

Test requirements before entry

Before you are allowed to enter England, you will need to take a test and get a negative result during the 3 days before you travel.

You should book and pay for 2 tests to be taken on or before day 2 and on or after day 8 of your quarantine. These tests need to be purchased by yourself. The provider needs to be approved by the government. We recommend Project Screen by Prenetics and their travel testing package. The results will be available 24 hours after receipt at the laboratory. They are UK Government approved and the testing package costs £164.

When you enter England you must also complete a passenger locator form with details of where you will quarantine when you arrive and the booking reference number for your travel test.

Very important: these restrictions apply to UK citizens as well.

Early release

If you’ve quarantined for 10 full days and received a negative result to both your day 2 and day 8 tests and you are well, you may leave the place where you’re quarantining. You may be able to end your quarantine early through the Test to Release scheme.

Test to Release scheme lets you choose to pay for a private test after 5 full days of being in quarantine. If the result is negative, you can stop quarantining.

Important: You must still take the test on day 8, even if you've stopped quarantining.

Conclusion

We've already booked our flights to the UK and our port of entry will be a major city in England. Since we will be staying in England, we are following all the requirements that apply for England. If you plan on going to Scotland or Wales, make sure to check the up-to-date requirements that apply for those countries.

We're really nervous about flying after such a long time, but we're really excited to resume life as we know it. After 10 days, we know we'll be meeting with family and friends, some of who we haven't seen in years.

As we need to quickly find a permanent accommodation solution for ourselves, we'll very likely pay for a private day 5 test, so we can take advantage of the Test to Release scheme also.