As both Ireland and the rest of Europe starts to relax Covid-19 restrictions, many people are beginning to return to international travel.
Be it jetting off via plane or taking a ferry across the water, travellers are still being urged to check out the Covid rules in their destination.
This is important because from Friday, the rules to enter the United Kingdom change.
At 4am from February 11, new rules will come into effect for the four countries in the UK.
Here are the major ones that affect Irish tourists.
England
For people travelling into England that are fully vaccinated, you will not be required to take a PCR or antigen test and will not need to restrict your movements.
You only need to complete a passenger locator form before entering the country if you have been outside of the Common Travel Area (CTA) within the past 10 days.
The changes in advice mean:
will not need to take a COVID-19 test before you travel to England or after you arrive
will not need to quarantine when you arrive
you will need to complete a passenger locator form before you travel to England if you have been outside Ireland or the UK in the last 10 days
But if you are unvaccinated, some restrictions still apply, including:
show proof of a negative COVID-19 test – test to be taken in the 2 days before you travel to England
book and pay for a COVID-19 PCR test – to be taken after you arrive in England
complete a passenger locator form before you travel to England (You will need to book the PCR test before you travel)
Wales
Travel within the UK, and to the Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, is not counted as international travel. This means that you do not need to test, isolate or fill in a passenger locator form if:
- you are travelling to Wales from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey or Guernsey
- you have not travelled anywhere other than these areas in the 10 days before you arrive in Wales
You can show details of recent travel into the CTA, such as a boarding pass or itinerary, to help confirm when you entered the CTA and how long you have spent in the CTA in total.
Scotland
If you’re fully vaccinated, you'll no longer need to take a COVID-19 day 2 test after you arrive. You'll still have to complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) in the 48 hours before travelling back to Scotland.
If you’re not fully vaccinated, you'll no longer need to self-isolate on arrival or take a COVID-19 Day 8 PCR test. You'll still need to take a COVID-19 test before travelling to Scotland, complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF), and take a PCR test on or before day 2 after you arrive.
