Key Points
- Fully vaccinated travelers will not be subject to pre-arrival, lateral flow testing beginning 11 Feb. 2022
- Day eight testing removed for unvaccinated travelers beginning 11 Feb. 2022
Overview
The government of the United Kingdom (UK) announced that eligible fully vaccinated travelers arriving in the UK will no longer have to take a post-arrival, lateral flow test beginning at 4:00 a.m. 11 Feb. 2022. Eligible fully vaccinated travelers will now only have to verify their status via the passenger locator form (PLF) prior to traveling to the UK.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travelers will still be required to fill out the PLF and undergo pre- and post-arrival PCR testing, but will no longer be required to undergo testing eight days after arrival nor self-isolation.
What are the Changes?
The government of the UK will remove all COVID-19 testing measures for fully vaccinated, eligible travelers entering the UK after 11 Feb. 2022. The changes are expected to reduce entrance requirements and testing costs for fully vaccinated travelers. Unvaccinated travelers will still be required to present a pre-arrival COVID-19 test taken within two days of departure and undergo post-arrival PCR testing.
Looking Ahead
Currently, the passenger locator form must be completed within 48 hours of departure. At the end of February 2022, the government of the UK plans to expand this timeframe to 72 hours.
Continue to check the government of the UK's website and Envoy's website for the latest updates and information.
Originally published 31 January 2022.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
