Travel Testing - what you need to know

Travel is coming back and it feels great !

For the last 2 years, international travel has been a hassle – too difficult, too expensive or just not allowed. Thankfully, the rules are now easing, so it’s a great time to plan that long-awaited getaway to visit family and friends or simply to grab some winter sun, on the piste or on the beach.

Whilst the need to take Covid tests for leaving the UK and upon returning has been relaxed or removed, there are still some testing requirements you should be aware of so you don’t get caught out: 

• It depends where you are going and
• whether or not you are fully vaccinated (and when you were vaccinated) and
• whether you are travelling with children and how old they are

The rules are rarely the same between 2 destination countries and they change all the time.

Travelling to Dubai – you still need a PCR test within 48 hours of departure

Travelling to USA – it’s within 24 hours, but a Rapid Antigen test will suffice

Travelling to France – if you are fully vaccinated, you don’t need any tests, but you must have a sworn statement

In many countries, the cut-off age for being required to prove vaccination status is 12 – but not everywhere.  In Sweden it’s 17, in Pakistan it’s 12 and in Greece it’s 5.

What you need to know

We could provide you with a list of the rules in each country, but it would be out of date before we had finished it!

So, the best advice is to check www.gov.uk for the latest rules.  That has all the latest information, but it can be tricky to navigate. 

Happily, there is another way of getting help

Getting help and booking the tests you need

We have a sister company, Manchester-based traveltests.health, whose business is to know what you need for your trip and to provide good value, reliable tests. 

They’ll give you the advice you need as well as the approved tests, either in one of their travel clinics or by post for you to take in the comfort of your own home.

For further information, visit traveltests.health, or you can call on 0161 660 7375