As the world continues to open up after the COVID-19 pandemic, the rules surrounding travel are continuing to change. The UK is constantly shifting in what it expects passengers to provide and do before they leave and once they arrive in the country.
Business travellers can find themselves in better positions than others if they work in certain sectors, allowing them to bypass some rules and quarantines. That is why TechRound, working with Tests2Go have made this guide for business travellers to the UK about what COVID rules apply to those travelling for business.
UK COVID Travel Rules If You Are Vaccinated
A big part of what rules you will have to follow apply to whether you are vaccinated or not. The UK mandates that being fully vaccinated means that you are more than 14 days from your second shot of the vaccine (or the 1st shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine).
The vaccine must be either have been given in the UK or be a part of the approved list of vaccines that can be found on the government website. Even if you are not vaccinated, you may be eligible for full vaccinations status if you are unable to have the vaccine for a medical reason, if you are under 18 or if you have taken part in a COVID vaccine medical trial.
Make sure that if you are vaccinated that you have the proof of your vaccine from your designated country. If you are vaccinated, then before you travel to England you must:
- Book and pay for a COVID-19 test – this test can be either a lateral flow or a PCR test and must be taken before the end of day 2 in England
- Complete a passenger locator form – you will need to enter your test booking reference number on this form and it must be completed in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
If you will be in England for less than 2 days you still need to book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test. Of course, if your test result is positive then you must isolate for 10 days in the UK.
UK COVID Travel Rules If You Are Unvaccinated
If you are not vaccinated, before you travel to England you must:
- Take a COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 3 days before you travel to England
- Book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 PCR tests – to be taken after arrival in England
- Complete a passenger locator form – to be completed in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
After you arrive in England you must:
- Quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 full days
- Take your COVID-19 PCR tests – you must book these tests before you travel
You must take the first test on or before day 2 and the second test on or after day 8. Again, if you test positive, you will have to isolate in the UK for at least 10 days.
What Job You Have
Regardless of vaccination status, the UK has mandated that some jobs do not require you to take a COVID test or quarantine because of the work that you are doing in the UK. The list is extensive but for example if you are an Aerospace engineer then you would not have to take a test before you arrived in the UK. You can find the full list of jobs and exemptions on the government website here.
