Your questions on Covid travel restrictions answered, from cancellations to testing and quarantine
Travel restrictions are changing rapidly and causing concern for many with imminent bookings over Christmas
By Sophie Lam
Travel Editor
November 29, 2021 4:39 pm(Updated November 30, 2021 11:42 am)
Countries across the world have introduced new travel restrictions to limit the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.
The significant mutation in the virus, first revealed by i, was first identified in South Africa and is thought to be more contagious than Delta, though research remains in the early stages.
There are now five cases of the 32-mutation strain in England and six in Scotland.
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My daughter is coming home for Christmas from the US. Is it best for her to book the day 2 PCR at the airport so by the time her jet lag is gone, she will have her test results?
Travel restrictions are changing rapidly as the world reacts to the new Omicron variant. I'd recommend that your daughter does nothing until closer to her time of departure. The PCR test must be booked in order to fill out a Passenger Locator Form, in the 48 hours prior to returning to the UK. Once she is confident of the entry requirements, booking a "day 2" PCR test at her arrival airport is a good idea, although will cost more than a self-administered home test. ExpressTest operates walk-through testing at Heathrow's Terminal 2 and 5 arrivals and at Gatwick North Terminal for £69 (vaccinated) and £129 (unvaccinated), delivering results by 10pm the following day. Randox Health has a test centre in the car park of Heathrow's Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel (from £55 with results by midnight the following day).
Can you recommend a reliable postal PCR test service (we are travelling to Mid Wales)?
Bargain-basement price PCR tests continue to feature on the government's list of approved testing providers. Randox, ExpressTest, Collinson, Cignpost Diagnostics and DAM Health Ltd are some of the bigger providers. Consumer group Which? scrutinised dozens of firms and recommends Rainbow Labs, Eurofins, Testing for All and Source Bioscience, which all offer home kits for £50 or less.
We're due to go to the Canaries with our 10- and 13-year-old children next month. Can we still travel?
This weekend, Spain tightened its entry requirements: from 1 December over-12s must show proof of full vaccination, with the last dose administered 14 days prior to arrival. The new rules apply to mainland Spain, as well as the Balearic and Canary Islands. So, unless your 13-year-old has received two doses of an approved vaccine, they will not be permitted to enter.
(Photo: Thomas Saunders/i Paper)
I see that flights are operating to South Africa again. I was supposed to be going in January but don't want to go anymore. If the flight hasn't been cancelled, can I still get a refund?
Flights from South Africa were temporarily banned by the Government last Friday while it prepared for hotel quarantine to take effect on Sunday. Now that it is operational, flights have been allowed to resume and it's quite possible that your January flights will operate. Virgin Atlantic has cancelled flights to Johannesburg until Wednesday, and is reviewing its schedule thereafter.
Speak to your airline, travel agent or tour operator to discuss your options; depending on booking conditions you might be able to defer until a later date without penalty. But don't cancel just yet – you might find that the airline does this anyway, or worse that you will forfeit a flight that does operate and be responsible for the cost.
We're going skiing in France over Christmas but are flying to Geneva and then driving into the French Alps. Will Switzerland's new quarantine requirements apply?
Switzerland has added the UK to its list of countries with the new variant of concern and has severely tightened its entry requirements, mandating that all UK arrivals must be fully vaccinated, present a negative PCR test and self-isolate for 10 days on arrival.
It has exempted UK arrivals who are transiting to other destinations. Initially it was stated that they must remain in transit "airside", leaving the airport only on a connecting flight. However, guidance has since been issued to clarify that transit by any other means – for example bus, car, coach or train – are permitted, as long as it is less than 24 hours and does not involve a stopover. So, as long as you are travelling directly from Geneva Airport into France, you won't have to quarantine, or provide a negative PCR test.
Covid: Two more cases of Omicron variant confirmed in London, taking UK total to 11
I've heard that Finland is going to impose quarantine on all arrivals from countries with confirmed cases of Omicron. Is that right?
Along with many other nations, Finland has banned entry for those who have spent time in southern African nations in the last 14 days; there are no direct flights between southern Africa and Finland, with most arrivals transiting in Europe. Omicron cases have also been detected in the UK and parts of Europe.
Finland's Ministry of Health issued a statement on Sunday that recommends all passengers who have been in countries where the spready of the variant has been detected in the last 14 days should undergo a compulsory health examination and self-isolate until a negative test result is produced. This recommendation has not been implemented for countries with confirmed cases outside southern Africa.
I'm flying to Finland next month for Christmas with family. My young kids (8 & 11) are not vaccinated. Are the standard day 2 PCR tests Ok for them on return to the UK?
Under-16s arriving in Finland are exempt from the requirement to prove vaccination or negative Covid test status. Those aged 16 and 17 who have received one shot of a Covid vaccination should take a PCR or lateral flow test between days three to five in Finland and are "recommended to self-isolate" while waiting for results. Your children will need no proof on arrival in Finland, but must have a pre-booked PCR test to return to England, from one of the Government-approved list of providers. The booking reference will be required to complete the UK's passenger locator form, 48 hours before your return.
We're booked to ski in France at Christmas. I saw that France would accept one vaccine plus proof of recovery from Covid in the past 6 months, which would mean my 13- and 15-year-old would not need to do a daily antigen test while in resort. However, due to their ages they can't get a certificate of recovery, or vaccination.
Teenagers comprise the trickiest cohort for international travel, particularly UK residents who have been administered only one Covid vaccine dose – no other country recognises one dose as "fully vaccinated", which effectively rules these travellers as "unvaccinated." However, as you suggest, France will accept a single dose for those who are recovering from Covid.
The NHS Covid Pass is available to over-16s only, and the Department of Health claims that "only a very small number of countries currently [ask] for recovery passes among children". A spokesperson told i: ""We are exploring ways to enable children aged 12-15 to demonstrate their vaccination status for the purpose of international travel." Until a solution is offered, those aged between 12-16 travelling with vaccinated parents must present a PCR test on arrival in France, then take regular antigen tests in ski resorts to allow entry to indoor spaces such as restaurants.
Some private companies offer proof of recovery certificates, with no age restrictions, but there is no guarantee that these will be accepted in France. These tend to cost around £150 including consultation.
Covid travel restrictions introduced across the world as countries fight Omicron variant mutation
I've recently had Covid and the NHS has stated that any PCR test is likely to return positive for the next 90 days. You could travel with a document of recovery, instead of a PCR – is that no longer the case?
A day 2 PCR test will be a requirement for return to England from 4am on Tuesday 30 November. This is to sequence tests to pick up potential Omicron cases among international arrivals, which is not possible with lateral flow antigen tests.
While lateral flow tests are less likely to return positive among those who are recovering from Covid, PCR tests are known to be more sensitive and can return positive results up to 90 days after infection.
PCR tests are required for all international arrivals from 30 November, and a 10-day self-isolation period will be required for all positive results.
Do I need a PCR test to travel to Belfast?
No. If you are travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, you are within the Common Travel Area. The recommendation is to take a lateral flow test before you begin your journey and only travel if the result is negative. However, you will not need to show the result on arrival in Belfast.
If you haven't been outside the Common Travel Area in the 10 days before arrival, you won't have to fill out a passenger locator form.
Will Mexico go back on the red list and will the US close its borders again?
With Omicron cases currently identified in southern Africa and parts of Europe this looks unlikely at the moment. However, the speed at which restrictions have been put in place demonstrates how unpredictable international travel continues to be.
It is possible that the US will impose further restrictions on international arrivals beyond southern Africa, but for the moment these do not apply to UK arrivals.
My partner and I have booked a trip to France on 10 December. On the day we travel my partner, who I live with, has to sign a statement. He has to answer the question 'Have you been in contact with someone who has had a positive PCR test in the last 14 days'. Is it 14 days since that person tested positive (my positive PCR was 20 Nov) or 14 days of that person's isolation period?
The French government's sworn declaration for all international arrivals asks that you state that "to your knowledge, you have not been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the 14 days prior to your journey". Because you live together, this will be considered "contact", with the last day of your isolation period the technical "end" of you being a confirmed Covid case. By my calculations, the 14 days prior to your journey would take you to 26 November, which unfortunately falls within your isolation period.
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