COVID-19: Testing requirements to be eased

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Home Office has announced that it will ease its testing requirements for fully vaccinated travelers entering England.

Key Points:

• Beginning Jan. 7, authorities will no longer require eligible fully vaccinated travelers and individuals under the age of 18 to take a pre-departure test or quarantine upon arrival.
  • Authorities will still require such travelers to take post-arrival tests.
• Beginning Jan. 9, authorities will allow eligible fully vaccinated travelers and children over the age of 5 to take a rapid flow test instead of a PCR test upon arrival.
  • Travelers can begin booking their lateral flow tests on Jan. 7.
  • Those who receive a positive lateral flow test must quarantine and order a PCR test from this website.

Additional Information: Individuals can travel to England without qualifying as fully vaccinated but must follow modified entry rules. Under the Test to Release scheme, unvaccinated travelers can choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test on day five after arrival. If the result is negative and the result of the day two test result is negative, they can end their quarantine. Travel lists, entry restrictions and health protocols in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales may differ from those in England.

BAL Analysis: Travelers should check the territory-specific requirements before planning travel to the U.K. Employers and employees should continue to consult their BAL professional before planning international travel. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, and BAL will provide additional updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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