Travel abroad checklist

This is a summary of what you need to do to travel abroad from England. Read the guidance below for more information about each point in the checklist.

1. Check foreign travel advice for all countries you will visit or travel through.

2. Arrange any COVID-19 tests you will need to enter the countries that you will travel to.

3. Find out how you can use the NHS COVID Pass to prove your vaccination status abroad.

4. Check what you will need to do when you return to England.

January 2022 Review of International Travel Border Measures

From 4am Friday 11 February, in time for the half-term break, eligible fully vaccinated passengers arriving in the UK will no longer have to undertake a post-arrival Lateral Flow test. This means that there will be no testing requirements for those who are fully vaccinated. As such, the only remaining measure for those who are fully vaccinated will be to complete a Passenger Locator Form.

Passengers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated will no longer be required to undertake a day 8 test after arrival or self-isolate. Such passengers will still need to fill out a Passenger Locator Form, demonstrate proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 2 days before travel and take a post arrival PCR test before day 2.

For inbound travel, all under-18s regardless of their individual vaccination status will continue to be considered as fully vaccinated, meaning they too will not have to take any pre or post arrival tests.

Children aged 12-15 in England will also be able to prove their vaccination status or proof of prior infection via the digital NHS COVID Pass from 3 February for outbound travel, making it easier for children and families to travel to countries which require proof of vaccination or prior infection to gain entry, avoid isolation, or access venues or services.

From 11 February, the Government will recognise vaccine certificates from a further 16 countries and territories at the UK border, including China and Mexico, bringing the total number of countries and territories from which the Government will recognise vaccine certification to more than 180.

From the end of February, the window for a passenger to complete a Passenger Locator Form prior to their departure will increase from 48 hours to 3 days, giving passengers more time to complete the form ahead of travel. The Government will simplify the Passenger Locator Form so that we only capture essential information and it is much easier to complete.

As Omicron showed, there is still a need to have robust contingency plans for the eventuality that similar strategic threats emerge. In the coming weeks the Government  will consult with industry as we develop clear contingency plans for use at the border, as part of our long-term plan on living with COVID-19.

Any contingency measures will depend on our ability to identify threats early. That is why the Government will also continue efforts to enhance global surveillance capabilities over the longer term to maximise detection of variants and move to a proportionate, sophisticated and targeted global surveillance system.

These significant steps forward, providing confidence to passengers and much-needed support to the aviation industry, are only possible because the Government has got the big calls right – on vaccination, on boosters and on dealing with Omicron. We can now open up travel and declare that the UK is open for business.