UK’s new simplified journey system takes off from at the moment

From 4am at the moment (Monday 4 October 2021), the UK’s new journey system comes into drive with international locations and territories categorised as both purple or the remainder of the world.

The brand new simplified journey system additionally implies that eligible absolutely vaccinated passengers and eligible under-18s coming back from over 50 international locations and territories not on the purple listing, can accomplish that without having to finish a pre-departure take a look at (PDT), a day 8 take a look at or enter a 10-day self-isolation interval, making it simpler for these travelling – whether or not that’s to see family and friends, or on enterprise journeys.

As introduced final month, the brand new guidelines additionally imply that from later in October eligible absolutely vaccinated passengers with an accredited vaccine and recognised certificates from a rustic not on the purple listing will have the ability to change their day 2 take a look at with a less expensive lateral movement take a look at, lowering the price of exams on arrival into England. The federal government goals to have this in place for when individuals return from half-term breaks.

Anybody testing optimistic might want to isolate and take a confirmatory PCR take a look at, at no further value, which might be genomically sequenced to assist determine new variants.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps mentioned:

We’re accelerating in direction of a future the place journey continues to reopen safely and stays open for good, and at the moment’s rule adjustments are excellent news for households, companies and the journey sector.

Our precedence stays to guard public well being however, with greater than 8 in 10 individuals now absolutely vaccinated, we’re in a position to take these steps to decrease the price of testing and assist the sector to proceed in its restoration.

Additionally from at the moment, under-18s from the over 50 international locations whose vaccination standing the UK recognises is not going to have to current a damaging PDT earlier than travelling to England. This is applicable no matter their vaccination standing.

All under-11s, no matter the place they’re travelling from, are already exempt from pre-departure testing for arrival within the UK. If youngsters aged 11 and over usually are not travelling from one of many 50-plus international locations and territories the place vaccines are recognised, they are going to be required to comply with the identical guidelines as for unvaccinated passengers.

From at the moment, we’re increasing our vaccinated coverage to an extra 18 international locations, together with the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Canada. The recognised vaccines are Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford AstraZeneca (together with Covidshield), Moderna and Janssen (J&J).

This builds on the UK authorities’s profitable pilot section with Europe and the US, and brings the full variety of international locations in scope of the coverage to over 50, with extra international locations and territories being added within the coming weeks.

These eligible will need to have a doc from a nationwide or state-level public well being authority that features sure info together with identify, date of start and vaccination particulars, as set out in steerage on GOV.UK.

The federal government has maintained it will take a phased strategy to recognising vaccines administered by different international locations and territories, constructing on the success of the pilot with the US and Europe.

Absolutely vaccinated residents in different international locations not but a part of the inbound coverage, in addition to these partially vaccinated, will nonetheless need to take a pre-departure take a look at, PCR exams for day 2 and day 8 after arrival, and self-isolate for 10 days, with the choice to check to launch after 5 days.

The UK authorities is constant to work with worldwide companions as we search to extra frequently broaden the coverage to additional international locations and territories.

All arrivals will nonetheless have to fill in a passenger locator kind forward of journey. Travellers ought to proceed to examine GOV.UK journey steerage together with International, Commonwealth and Growth Workplace (FCDO) journey recommendation earlier than, throughout and after journey to maintain updated with entry necessities and guarantee compliance with the most recent COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 rules for the nation being visited. Passengers must also fastidiously examine reserving circumstances previous to reserving.