Covid rules for a quick weekend in Spain

[ell]

Cheers,
Really appreciate your help.

Why can't I just use a walk in centre? Or order one to come to my house? Surely it makes no difference?

Paying £69 kinda kills me £25 weekend away to Spain.

Randox £43 for your day 2 PCR. Do it at home and drop it in the dropboxes dotted around.

The argument is that taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for your tests to go on holiday. (Personally I think the testing should be scrapped but hey)

 

[ell]

i'm going to do the same for Portugal - doesnt look like a test is needed to go there anymore (with proof of UK vaccine) but UK require day 2 test on arrival to be booked - what is that test though?

the Day 2 test list on the gov website takes me here, where they seem to start at £4

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance and support

Find information on coronavirus, including guidance and support.

www.find-travel-test-provider.service.gov.uk

at no point could i see where they say what sort of test it needs to be on day 2. ( i am assuming PCR)

Be careful. A few UK media outlets reported that Portugal had dropped the testing requirement to enter for people vaccinated in the UK, I am on a Portugal covid updates page and they are all saying this is NOT the case and you still require either an antigen 48hrs before departure or PCR 72hrs before.

 

[shemnel]

Be careful. A few UK media outlets reported that Portugal had dropped the testing requirement to enter for people vaccinated in the UK, I am on a Portugal covid updates page and they are all saying this is NOT the case and you still require either an antigen 48hrs before departure or PCR 72hrs before.

thanks,

i've got the following, which i read as test OR valid vaccination status [Updated on September 30];

I – ACCESSIBILITY

1) Arriving to Portugal by Plane

MAINLAND Portugal

ALLOWED (Essential and non-essential travel)
Countries of the European Union, Schengen Associated countries (Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland), Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, South Korea, United States of America, Jordan, New Zealand, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom and special admnistrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao

• RT-PCR Test (or similar NAAT test) - 72h before boarding, or
  Rapid Antigen Test - 48h before boarding, or
  a valid EU Digital COVID Certificate, or
  a valid Vaccination or recovery certificate issued by a third country, under reciprocal conditions.
• Children under 12 do not need to present test.
• All passengers need to fill a Passenger Locator Card (individually) before departure to Portugal or on board at https://portugalcleanandsafe.pt/en/passenger-locator-card

edit: actually, i am now seeing sites that say the NHS certificate isnt yet being accepted by Portugal, only the EU one, but that could change soon.

 

[inbetween]

I got back from Tenerife on Friday, we had to do a few things which I think are all change from today. We didn't need to do any test to go out there, coming back however was a different story (lateral flow to fly, day 2 PCR once back).

For the tests I'd recommend a company called Chronomics who are discounted if you fly TUI. Everything is online and we got our day 2 PCR test results this morning, we only handed it in late yesterday. You can hand everything in at TUI shops which is really handy.

 

[ell]

thanks,

i've got the following, which i read as test OR valid vaccination status [Updated on September 30];

I – ACCESSIBILITY

1) Arriving to Portugal by Plane

MAINLAND Portugal

ALLOWED (Essential and non-essential travel)
Countries of the European Union, Schengen Associated countries (Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland), Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, South Korea, United States of America, Jordan, New Zealand, Qatar, Republic of Moldova, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Ukraine, United Kingdom and special admnistrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao

• RT-PCR Test (or similar NAAT test) - 72h before boarding, or
  Rapid Antigen Test - 48h before boarding, or
  a valid EU Digital COVID Certificate, or
  a valid Vaccination or recovery certificate issued by a third country, under reciprocal conditions.
• Children under 12 do not need to present test.
• All passengers need to fill a Passenger Locator Card (individually) before departure to Portugal or on board at https://portugalcleanandsafe.pt/en/passenger-locator-card

edit: actually, i am now seeing sites that say the NHS certificate isnt yet being accepted by Portugal, only the EU one, but that could change soon.

Yes it was expected to change but sadly we are not yet one of the third countries with an agreement.

 

[marco]

COVID-19: Amber list and UK's traffic light system for international travel scrapped as rules simplified

The move comes after months of frustrations for businesses in the travel sector, among the hardest-hit during the pandemic.

news.sky.com

 

[denislawsbackheel]

Agreed but if you go into a walk in then they do it for you and text you the result 24 hours later. How can the government not accept the result of their own test?

Why should Taxpayers pay towards your holiday?

 

[Hes the left back remember]

I think it would make sense if you could take the test at an NHS site,many of which are extremely quiet at the moment, but pay for it as it is for holiday purposes.
This would put much needed funds into the NHS .

 

[HolisticJim]

Why should Taxpayers pay towards your holiday?

Well it’s either accepted as safe or it isn’t.

I can walk into a Uk pub and lick people. I can travel to many different countries all without a test but I need a test to come into the UK.

and so I agree with the sentiment but the reality is that this is a UK issue.

 

[Sky Blue Thinking]

Randox £43 for your day 2 PCR. Do it at home and drop it in the dropboxes dotted around.

The argument is that taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for your tests to go on holiday. (Personally I think the testing should be scrapped but hey)

Understand the point about taxpayers not paying for tests, but dont understand why there is not an option to pay for NHS tests. At least that way the money would go to the NHS rather than some of these private outfits who from previous threads (Porto) dont all provide a great service.