Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Lizzy Buchan

Covid tests AXED for fully-vaccinated travellers arriving in the UK

Covid tests will be scrapped for fully vaccinated arrivals as international travel rules are relaxed due to the reduced threat from Omicron.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Covid curbs on international travel would be eased as Omicron was "now in retreat".

From 4am on February 11, fully jabbed passengers will no longer have to take a Covid test on returning to the UK.

In a major change, unvaccinated Brits will no longer have to self isolate or do a day 8 test under the new rules.

But they will still have to take pre-departure and post-arrival PCR test.

All under 18s will not have to take tests on arrival in the UK.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps unveiled the changes in the Commons (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

And younger teenagers will be able to prove their vaccination status using the NHS app, in a boost to families planning for half term holidays abroad.

Teenagers aged from 12 to 15-years-old will be able to use the app from February 3 in England.

Mr Shapps told the Commons: "Today I can confirm to the House that our international travel regime will also now be liberalised as part our efforts to ensure that 2022 is the year in which restrictions on travel, on lockdowns and limits on people's lives are firmly placed in the past.

"From 4am on February 11, and in time for the half-term break, eligible fully-vaccinated passengers arriving in the UK will no longer have to take a post-arrival lateral flow test.

"That means that after months of pre-departure testing, post-arrival testing, self-isolation, additional expense, all that fully vaccinated people will now have to do, when they travel to the UK, is to verify their status via a passenger locator form."

All arrivals will still have to fill out a passenger locator form.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.