On January 24, the UK government announced it was removing all testing requirements for eligible fully vaccinated arrivals. This will come into effect on February 11.
This comes after the UK faced one of the harshest, and longest, restrictions globally, and this new ruling will make it one of the most free-flowing borders across Europe. Within the UK, virtually all restrictions have been loosened, with mask use still being encouraged in indoor places and on public transport.
While the UK faced high positive rates of the Omicron variant pre-Christmas and early in the new year, the government credits the success of the booster and vaccine rollout for the loosening restrictions.
For unvaccinated travelers, restrictions will also be scaled back; they will only need to take a pre-departure test and a PCR test on or before their second day after arrival in the UK. They will also not need to self-isolate on arrival, and will only need to do so on receipt of a positive result.
If you plan on traveling to the UK, make sure to complete a — newly simplified — Passenger Locator Form (PLF) pre-arrival, bring masks as some indoor shops and restaurants encourage it, and continue to practice social distancing where possible.
Stay safe, enjoy your travels, and contact us soon to plan your UK trip. Our experienced and reliable drivers are ready and able to get you and your travel companions to and from the airport, safely.