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Government scraps pre-arrival covid testing and ‘Day 2’ PCR tests

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The Government has confirmed this afternoon that you will no longer be required to take a covid test before travelling to England.

You will also no longer need to take a ‘Day 2’ PCR test and self-isolate until you receive the result.

The system will return to how it was late last year for those who are fully vaccinated. At some point the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ is likely to be changed to include only those who have also received a booster shot, but this has not yet happened.

You will still be required to take a ‘Day 2’ (really a Day 0-2) lateral flow test when you return to the UK. However, there is no requirement to isolate until you receive the result and so you can immediately return to work or education after landing.

As before, you must purchase your lateral flow test before you return to England and enter the purchase reference number on your Passenger Locator Form.

The implementation period is confusing, unfortuately:

  • Anyone arriving after 4am on Friday will not need to have done a pre-arrival test
  • Anyone arriving after 4am on Friday will not need to self-isolate whilst they await their test result
  • Anyone arriving after 4am on Sunday will be able to take a ‘Day 0-2’ lateral flow test instead of a PCR test

This means that anyone arriving between 4am Friday and 4am Sunday will still need to do a PCR test on arrival, even though they will no longer need to isolate whilst awaiting the result.

Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic said:

“The removal of pre-departure testing before travel to the UK and costly PCR testing upon arrival is welcome progress and a necessary step towards frictionless air travel for our customers. Travellers can now book with confidence and look forward to reconnecting with loved ones and business colleagues. Meanwhile customer demand will be boosted in a critical booking window for the travel industry and vital testing capacity can be reallocated where it is needed the most – in hospitals, schools and crucial national infrastructure.

“Throughout the pandemic we have demonstrated that international travel can operate safely, taking full advantage of our world leading vaccine rollout. We want to thank the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for Transport – and their teams – for working with us to lead the way in returning travel at scale, and in turn, boosting prospects for economic recovery. We look forward to working together towards the next review at the end of January, when the ultimate goal will be removal of all testing for travel and developing a playbook for how to deal with any new variants.”

Comments (115)

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  • NorthernLass says:

    This is awesome news! That said, our next trip is still 5 weeks away so I’m not taking anything for granted 🤣

    • Alan says:

      Mine isn’t for 4 months (will be the first time abroad in 2 years!) and I’m still not counting my chickens yet!

  • JA says:

    Is this UK wide or England only?

    • NorthernLass says:

      Says UK, but it’s usually down to individual nations to decide for themselves. And you still can’t have a pint at a bar in Scotland …

      • Mark Janes says:

        To be honest, that can be risky at the best of times.

      • Luke says:

        Not so. You just have to wait for the server to get to your table (or use the app).

    • PaulW says:

      as a Welshman I can confirm for Wales – pattern is – the Welsh goverment complains. Then does the same a few days later!
      Our First Ministrer still recommends no travel. Not sure what science he follows given our rates vs pretty much anywhere are higher. So we all happily head for London/Manchester and enjoy our travels!

      • NorthernLass says:

        As someone whose family holidays in Anglesey every year, I would guess that he wants you to benefit from all that sunshine.

      • BlueThroughCrimp says:

        Same in Scotland.
        Same rules, just the timing is different for the sake of being different.
        The 7 day isolation question was asked about a few weeks ago, and the FM ridiculed it, to only change to it today…

        • Rob says:

          I was reading the Sunday Post last weekend, being in Scotland, and it said there was a grand total of 1 person in intensive care in Scotland with omicron.

          Of course you can see this as either the great success or total failure of the policies in Scotland …

          • NorthernLass says:

            England has the lowest infection rate of all four nations atm!

          • Alan says:

            That’s just the lag for severe disease though. Plenty non-omicron in level 3 care just now although thankfully holding steady and vaccinated ward patients with omicron seem OK. Sicker patients mainly unvaccinated.

    • Patrycja says:

      I suspect this will be based on arrival airport. If you are flying BA via London, English rules will apply

  • Tim says:

    Just booked Randox PCR day 2 tests. Ah well it’s only money!

    • Peter Stewart says:

      At least you didn’t lose any Avios. Heaven forbid!! 😀

  • FourWheels says:

    Hi – anyone know if a Collison ‘PRE-DEPARTURE’ Lateral Flow Test (the £17 one & no longer required), can now be used as the 0-2 Day Lateral Flow Test back in the UK?

    • Andrew says:

      No – because pre-departure orders don’t generate a number that you’ll need for your Passenger Locator Form.

  • Steve says:

    Can Day 2 lateral be an NHS one or it has to be bought online so that reference number can be entered in PLF?

    • Harry T says:

      Latter.

    • Gavin454 says:

      Must be bought online.

    • NorthernLass says:

      I suspect still the latter as free tests are effectively rationed at the moment.
      Is Expert Medicals still in business?!

      • Clive says:

        Yes just used them for our return from Thailand today

      • Aston100 says:

        Expert Medicals are still in business. I ordered one of their day 2 tests a week ago.

    • e14 says:

      States reverting to how it was the end of last year, so an online one would be need to be purchased to get the PLF reference

    • Dean says:

      We travelled back from the US and used Klarity for our test before departure to UK tests with an NHS lateral flow device. They charge you £9.95, you just send them a photo of the test result to get a certificate.

      They also send you a booking reference that can be used on your passenger locator form so this should satisfy the Uk landing form requirement from Friday.

  • Lee says:

    The PCR change doesn’t come into effect until Sunday. Annoyingly this is 5 hours after we land so we’ll still have to take one

    • Peter Stewart says:

      I wonder what would happen at the UK border if you just said, ‘I’ll wait here for 5 hours before crossing thanks. Save me a few quid.’

      (Totally not worth it, and I’m not suggesting it, but I do wonder how they’d respond.)

      • ChrisC says:

        Don’t you have to put flight number on the PLF that is linked to your passport number and they can see on their screens?

        Also isn’t lying on the PLF a crime?

        Also being in the arrivals part of an airport isn’t can’t be a nice experience – anywhere to get a coffee? – and security might take an interest if they see you lurking for a long time

    • Andrew says:

      Where all major travel announcements are made – Grant Shapps’ Twitter feed.

      • PIL says:

        Oh well, need to create a twitter I guess! It has now been changed in the official guidance and stands true 🙁

    • ChrisC says:

      Takes a while for these things to get updatedTakes a little period for these things to get updated.

  • JLNF says:

    Excellent! We are flying back into UK on Saturday… does the requirement for the day 0-2 PCR get dropped/switched for the lateral flow at the same time as the dropping of the requirement for the 2 days pre travel lateral flow? Or is that at a slightly later date? (I have of course paid for all these tests….but never mind…).

    • JLNF says:

      Ah / just seen the comment above. We will do doing our PCR test after all.

  • ankomonkey says:

    Nice! What’s the betting the PCR tests and pre-UK flight LFTs will be back for school Feb half-term, then again for Easter, etc.?

    • Aston100 says:

      Does seem to follow UK school holidays doesn’t it?
      (Yes, I’m annoyed by the £59 Halo terminal 5 test and some pre departure tests the other day).

    • OCN says:

      Absolutely with you..and don’t forget the holidays in May 🙂

    • Geoff 1977 says:

      The odds are quite high I’d guess!

      Although everyone on here thought things would be back to 2019 normal by August 2020 🤣

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