The 10 Covid hoops you need to jump through to leave the country

Travel corridors, vaccine passports, quarantine hotels. There have been so many new travel policies and border restrictions over the past year, it’s tempting to give up on a holiday this summer and just park yourself up in a beer garden (once it’s allowed).

But, for those of you who do fancy taking a punt on an international trip this year, we have laid out the ten hoops you may need to jump through before your 2021 getaway.

Note that much will change over the coming weeks and months. Overseas travel is set to resume on May 17, at the earliest. Check the rules of your destination with a fine tooth comb in good time before you set off.

1. The Declaration Form

The first of many forms you have to fill in before stepping foot on a plane is the spanking new ‘Declaration Form’. Brought in on March 8, this is your opportunity to formally disclose why you are travelling and to confirm your trip is for “essential” purposes (compassionate grounds, work, weddings, education). You can download the form here. It is currently unknown how long this will be in place for, but surely not after international holidays for “leisure” (remember those?) resume.

2. The evidence of a ‘valid’ reason to travel

For the time being, along with your Declaration Form, you are advised to “carry evidence” to support your reason for travel. This could include “'proof of contract, court decision and proof of place of residence, order to present oneself to a judicial or administrative authority, expiring residence permit, dismissal notice, etc.” You can find the full list of valid reasons here.

3. The test result or vaccine certificate

It is likely that your destination will either request some form of vaccination passport, proving you have received two doses of an approved vaccine, or evidence of a negative PCR test result – probably taken up to 72 hours before travel. We will have more details on vaccine certificates on April 12, when the Travel Task Force reports on how international travel will resume.

4. The passenger information form on arrival

Most destinations ask visitors to fill in some kind of passenger information form. In Greece, for example, you must fill in a Passenger Locator Form 24 hours before arrival. The FCDO says: “Failure to do so in advance may result in your carrier not allowing you to travel, a 500 Euro fine on arrival or the Greek authorities not allowing you to enter the country.” In Spain, it is called a ‘Health Control Form’. Check your destination in good time, before you travel.

5. The test on arrival

Many countries are currently requesting all visitors take a test on arrival, and we can expect this to possibly continue once international leisure travel resumes (for those who do not have a vaccine certificate – which very few will by May 17, when travel is set to resume).

Take Italy, for example, where the rules state: “You must take a Covid-19 rapid antigenic or molecular swab test within 48 hours of entering Italy – arrivals by air from the UK will take this test at the airport.”

As it stands, if you do have a valid reason to enter, you must quarantine in Italy (as is the case in the majority of countries) regardless of your result. But we can assume that come summer, when countries reopen to holidaymakers, it is unlikely you will be forced to quarantine if you receive negative results from your tests on arrival.

6. The test before departure

Right now, you must take a test 72 hours before travelling back to the UK. If you fail to do so, you will be denied boarding, or risk a fine of up to £500 on arrival back in the UK. You can find the Government rules on test before departure, here. We can safely assume that a vaccine certificate should waive any need to test before departure, but for the unvaccinated, it may stay in place for some time yet.

7. The locator form before exiting your destination

In some countries, including Greece, you will also need to complete the Passenger Locator Form on leaving the country as well. Check the FCDO page for the entry and exit requirements for your destination.

8. The UK Passenger Locator Form

For the time being, the UK requires all arrivals to fill in a Passenger Locator Form before travelling home. This includes information such as your passport details, your travel times, your address, and so on. You can find the form here.

Right now, you must quarantine on arrival back to the UK (either in a hotel, or at home, depending on where you are travelling from – see below) and you must include information on your test booking details on the Passenger Locator Form.

9. The hotel quarantine stay (if arriving from a red list country)

While there are hopes in the industry that quarantine hotels will be ditched by the time travel resumes on May 17, as it stands arrivals from 33 countries travelling into England must go into a mandatory ten-day quarantine in a Government-approved hotel. These stays cost £1,750, including the cost of two tests. We answer all your questions on quarantine hotels here.

The 33 hotel quarantine countries are: South Africa, DRC, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Angola, Mauritius, Seychelles, Portugal, Panama, Cape Verde, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, UAE, Burundi, Rwanda.

10. The two tests and home quarantine (for everyone else)

Right now, if arriving back in the UK from a non red-listed country, you will need to quarantine at home and take a Covid test on the second and eighth days of your self-isolation, costing £210. You can book your tests through the official Government portal here.

In addition, you can pay extra for ‘Test to Release’ – allowing you to take a test on day five to leave self-isolation. However, if the test is positive you must self-isolate for an additional ten days, and you must still take the second mandatory test on day eight.

And there you have it. In ten smooth steps, your dream holiday may just come true.