If you're looking to book that long awaited holiday whether it's to relax or visit your friends and family, now many be the chance to jet away to that dream destination of yours.
This is because the travel and tourism sector are relaxing their rules and the covid restrictions that are currently in place are the relaxed they've been since the covid pandemic stuck the UK in March 2020 - almost two years ago.
Countries such as France and Germany have relaxed their rules with other places following suit - especially when it concerns fully vaccinated travellers.
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But whilst some destinations are allowing people across the border, what are the travel rules when flying from the United Kingdom to Canada, Gibraltar and Hong Kong?
Canada
Canada have not long updated their covid travel rules for people who are fully vaccinated meaning those who have had the full course of the covid jag can enter Canada for non-essential reasons, such as tourism.
Fully vaccinated tourists must:
- Be admissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
- Have no covid symptoms
- Submit your mandatory information via ArriveCAN (App or website), including proof of vaccination in English or French and a quarantine plan in case you do not meet the necessary requirements at the border
- Wear a face mask during the flight and in airport terminals
If travellers cannot wear a mask for medical reasons, you must be in possession of a medical certificate.
The latest changes means that some people do not need to take a PCR test when travelling to Canada.
According to the Government of Canada website, as of February 28, 2022 travellers must do the following:
- Travellers arriving to Canada from any country, who qualify as fully vaccinated, will be randomly selected for arrival testing and must quarantine while awaiting their test result
- Children under 12 years old travelling with fully vaccinated adults will continue to be exempt from quarantine
- Unvaccinated travellers will continue to be required to test on arrival on day eight and quarantine for 14 days.
Unvaccinated foreign nationals will not be permitted to enter Canada unless they meet one of the few exemptions.
They add that travellers will now have the option of using a covid rapid antigen test result which must be taken less than 24 hours prior to their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry.
Alternatively, they can take a molecular test result which must be taken no more than 72 hours before their scheduled flight or arrival at the land border or marine port of entry.
They warn: "Taking a rapid antigen test at home is not sufficient to meet the pre-entry requirement – it must be authorised by the country in which it was purchased and must be administered by a laboratory, healthcare entity or telehealth service."
Gibraltar
The Gov.uk website states that you can only enter based on your vaccine status as well as whether the countries you have visited in the 10 days prior to your arrival are on the red list.
Thankfully travellers will be pleased to know that at present there are no countries or territories on the Red list - though if this gets updated, you will not be allowed to enter if you have been in one of the listed destinations within the last 10 days.
As well as being fully vaccinated, travellers must:
- Complete a Passenger Locator Form
- Provide proof of vaccination
- Book an LFT (lateral flow test)
This test must be taken immediately on arrival in Gibraltar and you must self-isolate until you have received a negative result.
Proof of vaccination status
Gibraltar have said that they will accept the UK’s proof of Covid recovery and vaccination record as well as proof of covid vaccination issued in the Crown Dependencies.
If you're not fully vaccinated
The rules state that if you are unvaccinated and have not been in a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days before arrival, you must take a pre-departure LFT taken no more than 48 hours before arrival.
Before travelling, people in this group must also book a lateral flow test which should be taken immediately upon arrival in Gibraltar and you must self-isolate until you have received a negative result.
Children and young people
All passengers regardless of their age need to complete a Passenger Locator Form. This also applies to children, however their form it must be completed by an adult.
In addition, children travelling from a non-Red List country who are aged 12 or over but under the age of 17 who have received a single dose of the vaccine are exempt from taking a pre-departure covid test.
Proof of the child’s vaccination status however must be uploaded on the Passenger Locator Form whilst the Government adds that unvaccinated children aged between 12 and 18 must take a covid test before travelling.
Hong Kong
Travellers who have visited the UK within the past 14 days are banned from entering Hong Kong or transit through Hong Kong International Airport.
Unvaccinated travellers are not allowed to enter.
If you wish to enter, travellers arriving at Hong Kong International Airport from all places other than mainland China, Macao and Taiwan will need to undergo 14 days quarantine at a designated quarantine hotel and must be vaccinated.
In addition, travellers must be able to provide a negative PCR based nucleic acid test for covid taken no more than 48 hours prior to their departure.
They add: "Other types of tests such as the reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT- LAMP) will not be accepted and do not fulfil the relevant boarding requirement."
Upon arrival travellers will need to provide confirmation of a hotel room reservation at their designated quarantine hotel. You can find further details on the Hong Kong SAR government website.
The Gov.uk website states: "Most travellers arriving from the UK must be fully vaccinated Hong Kong residents. Proof of a single dose of the BioNTech vaccination will be accepted for 12 to 17 year-old Hong Kong residents travelling from the UK or those unable to receive a second vaccination for health reasons.
"Accompanied unvaccinated minors under the age of 12 who are Hong Kong residents or children of Hong Kong residents are also allowed to enter Hong Kong."
Travellers will also require a separate certificate confirming that the testing laboratory meets the required standards.
