Latest Travel News – November 26^th 2021

What is the most current change to Covid testing rules in travel?

From 4am on October 24^th we saw a major change in the Government’s required Covid testing for travel agenda. Those fully vaccinated passengers, along with the unvaccinated U18s travelling alongside them, arriving in the UK, would no longer have to take a pre-departure Covid test 72 hours before leaving their non-red destination country. Instead, they will now only be required to complete a private lateral flow test, on or before day 2 of arrival. Passengers will be asked to undertake the Covid test and send photographic evidence of the completed check to their chosen provider such as C19 testing. This company has featured in Which.

While this is the most current requirements and are likely to be in place until the New Year, it has been rumoured that a major travel review will take place in January. The hope is that ministers will look to work with aviation leaders to try and out the need for Covid testing in travel, altogether. This will only boost the much-needed recovery in travel even more. Watch this space as they say!

New Zealand to open borders in April 2022

New Zealand is set to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated, foreign travellers from April 30^th 2022. The New Zealand Government states a period of 7-day isolation will be required on arrival.

This move is part of a 3-step process which will firstly see those New Zealand citizens currently overseas be allowed to return home. This will begin in January 2022.

As you might recall New Zealand were quick to close all of its borders when the pandemic hit back in March 2020.

Requirements to travel to New Zealand in 2022 will be the following:

• a negative pre-departure test
• proof of being fully vaccinated
• a passenger declaration about travel history
• a day 1 test on arrival
• a requirement to self-isolate for 7 days, and
• a final negative test before entering the community

The advanced announcement has been made to allow all parties, such as airlines, families and businesses time to prepare.

Belgium relaxes Covid travel restrictions for those fully vaccinated passengers from UK

Today (26^th November 2021) sees the Covid testing restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers arriving in Belgium, relaxed.

Visitors from the UK were previously required to take a PCR or rapid antigen test on day 1 or day 2 of their trip and go into isolation until they received a negative test result.

If staying for a week or longer they would also need to take another test on the 7^th day of the trip.

Today’s change sees visitors from the UK just needing to produce a negative test result on arrival. Passengers can choose to either undertake a PCR test within 72 hours of travel or a rapid antigen test must be done on the day before travel or on arrival.

In addition to producing the negative test results, those visitors arriving into Belgium must also complete a passenger locator form (PLF).

Travellers who are staying in Belgium for 48 hours or less will need to fill in the passenger locator form, but are not required to isolate or take a covid test.

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26^th November 2021