Change description : 2022-01-05 17:49:00: Changes to rules for fully vaccinated people travelling to England from 4am 7 January 2022. [Coronavirus (COVID-19)]
Changes to rules for fully vaccinated travel to England – January 2022
From 4am Friday 7 January
If you qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England, and you will arrive in England after 4am, Friday 7 January, you do not need to:
take a COVID-19 test before you travel to England
quarantine when you arrive in England
From 4am Sunday 9 January
If you qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England, and you will arrive in England after 4am, Sunday 9 January, you can choose to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR test after you arrive in England.
If you take a lateral flow test and test positive, you will need to self-isolate and take a free confirmatory PCR test.
You must book the test before you travel to England. You can book lateral flow tests from 4am Friday 7 January.
You cannot use a lateral flow test until after 4am, Sunday 9 January. Before 4am Sunday 9 January, you must use a PCR test after arrival.
The fully vaccinated rules also apply to children aged 17 and under, people taking part in an approved vaccine trial, and people who are unable to have a vaccination due to medical reasons.
If you’re in England for less than 2 days, you still need to book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test. You must quarantine until you receive a negative test result, or until you leave England, whichever is sooner.
When you arrive in England – fully vaccinated
After you arrive in England you must take a COVID-19 PCR test. This is the test that you booked before travel.
You can take the test any time after you arrive and before the end of day 2 at the latest. The day you arrive is day 0.
If your PCR test result is unclear, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day you took the test is day 0.
If your PCR test result is unclear, you can choose to take another private test. If the result of that test is negative, you can stop self-isolating.
If your PCR test result is delayed, you must quarantine until you receive a negative test result or until day 14 after arrival, whichever is sooner.
Check if you qualify as fully vaccinated
To qualify under the fully vaccinated rules for travel to England, you must have proof of full vaccination with a full course of an approved vaccine.
You must have had your final dose of the vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in England. The day you had your final dose does not count as one of the 14 days.
The proof of vaccination must have been issued by either:
the UK vaccination programme
the United Nations vaccine programme for staff and volunteers
an overseas vaccination programme with an approved proof of vaccination for travel to the UK
taking part in an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial in the UK or the USA (US residents only for USA trials), or a phase 2 or 3 vaccine trial that is regulated by the EMA or SRA
unable to have a COVID-19 vaccination for a medical reason which has been approved by a clinician under the medical exemptions process, and you are resident in England
take your COVID-19 PCR tests – you must book these tests before you travel
You must take the first test on or before day 2 and the second test on or after day 8. The day you arrive is day 0.
If you are in England for less than 10 days, you need to quarantine for the time you are here. You need to book day 2 and day 8 PCR tests. You only need to take the tests if you are still in England on those days.
If the test result is positive
If your day 2 test is positive, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day you took the test is day 0.
You do not need to take the day 8 test if your day 2 test is positive. If your day 2 test is negative, you must take your day 8 test.
If your day 8 test is positive, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day you took the day 8 test is day 0.
If the test result is negative
If your day 2 test is negative, you must continue to quarantine.
You must take your day 8 test on or after day 8.
If your day 8 test is negative, you can stop quarantine on whichever is later:
day 10 – day 0 is the day you arrived in England
when you receive the day 8 test result
Example
If you receive your day 8 negative test result back on day 9, you must continue to quarantine until the end of day 10.
If you receive your day 8 negative test result back on day 12, you must quarantine until the end of day 12.
If the test result is unclear
If the result of your day 2 test is unclear, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day you took the test is day 0.
If the result of your day 8 test is negative, you can stop self-isolating on whichever is later:
day 10 - day 0 is the day you arrived in England
the day you received the negative day 8 test result
If your day 8 test is unclear, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day you took the day 8 test is day 0.
You can choose to take another private test. If that test result is a negative result, you can stop self-isolating on whichever is later:
day 10 - day 0 is the day you arrive in England
the day you received the negative replacement test result from the additional test
Test to Release scheme
If you need to quarantine, you may be able to end quarantine early if you pay for a private COVID-19 test through the Test to Release scheme.
Red list countries
There are different rules if you have been in a red list country in the 10 days before you arrive in England.
Children aged 4 and under do not have to take any COVID-19 travel tests. On arrival in England, they must quarantine until their responsible adult receives their day 2 test result back.
Children aged 12 to 17 must take a COVID-19 test in the 2 days before travel to England.
Children aged 5 to 17 have to follow the testing and quarantine rules for people who qualify as fully vaccinated on arrival in England.
This means that they have to quarantine on arrival and take a PCR test on or before day 2.
Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
If you’re travelling to England from within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you do not need to:
complete a passenger locator form
take any COVID-19 tests
quarantine on arrival in England
This only applies if you have not been outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man in the 10 days before the day you arrive in England. If you have, you must follow the international travel rules in the place where you arrive.
There are different rules if you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England. If you need to follow red list rules, you must do so if you are fully vaccinated or not.
Published 22 June 2021
Last updated 245 DecemberJanuary 20212022
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Changes to rules for fully vaccinated people travelling to England from 4am 7 January 2022.
People who qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England can now end self-isolation after 7 days with 2 negative lateral flow tests.
Further information about quarantine rules for children aged 4 and under.
People aged 12 years and over must COVID-19 test before they travel to England from abroad.
From 4am, Tuesday 7 December all people aged 12 years and over must also take a PCR or LFD COVID-19 test before they travel to England from abroad.
28 November 2021
From 4am 30 November 2021, fully vaccinated people must self-isolate and take a PCR test before the end of day 2 after they arrive in England. They may leave self-isolation if their PCR result is negative. Lateral flow tests will not be accepted.
25 November 2021
South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe will move onto the red list at 12.00 midday Friday 26 November. A temporary flight ban will be in place and all travellers who have been in these countries must quarantine and take tests.
22 November 2021
Travel to England rules for children no longer depend on their place of residence.
18 November 2021
Clarification about unclear or inconclusive test results.
8 November 2021
From 4am 22 November 2021, all children aged 17 and under will not have to quarantine on arrival in England.
22 October 2021
People who qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England can book a lateral flow test for use from 24 October instead of a PCR test.
15 October 2021
From 22 October, if you qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England, you will be able to book an antigen lateral flow device (LFD) test instead of a PCR for your ‘on arrival’ test.
4 October 2021
Rule changes for international travel to England for people who qualify as fully vaccinated.
19 July 2021
Changes to amber list rules on quarantine and testing.