What Covid test needed to return to the UK? 27 June 2021 at 4:23PM edited 27 June 2021 at 10:08PM in Coronavirus travel help & info 19 replies 751 views

jplevene

We intend to go to Spain, however when returning we need to have a test within 2 days of departing for re-entry back into the UK.  The Government website outlines it here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-for-people-travelling-to-england#type-of-test

It states that a "an antigen test, such as a test from a lateral flow device" is acceptable. The free NHS test is a lateral flow test.  You also get an email back, in English, the test results confirming your name, date of birth, the test date, the result, the provider (being the NHS) and confirmation it was a lateral flow test, being all the requirements mentioned in the above webpage.

As far as I can tell, this seems to tick all of the boxes and is acceptable.

This test is not for going to another country, but for returning.  There is information stating that NHS tests can't be used for travel to GO ABROAD, but nothing about coming back.

My question is, can the free NHS kit be used for re-entry, or is there some clause somewhere in the mess of regulation that I haven't seen?

EDIT: Please don't post an opinion unless you can back it up with a link to a current (not out of date) official government source, as without it, your opinion is meaningless and misleading.

jediknight49

Unfortunately you won't be able to use the Free NHS Lateral flow tests.
You must take a test from a test / health centre in Spain and have a written confirmation result / email proof of the test result.
Without this you won't be getting on a plane or back into the UK.

Caz3121

My understanding is that the paid lateral flow tests that are acceptable for travel involve a video call to witness you do the test properly. If nobody was watching there is nothing to stop abuse of the system...people knowing they would test positive using someone else's swabs to get a negative result.

jplevene

I appreciate the opinions, however opinions are unfortunately not regulation, and nobody has pointed to any regulation that the NHS test can't be used or anything to support their opinion.  There is no regulation on https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-for-people-travelling-to-england#type-of-test that states it has to be from a health centre or that it needs to be witnessed, it just mentions the "test provider".

My point is what it states, and what it states is what the law/regulation is.  This is why I specifically asked "is there some clause somewhere in the mess of regulation that I haven't seen?"

CKhalvashi

It has to have a certificate, as far as I'm aware by a certified laboratory.

The paid video tests are acceptable, as are those done in a controlled setting. The NHS tests are not. Specifically stated here is the following: COVID-19 testing for the purposes of international travel is not available on the NHS.

You will be expected to provide a certificate either in electronic or paper form on arrival in the UK, as stated here, and through the NHS testing system you will be unable to do this. This is if you actually make it onto the plane due to the checks by handling companies at the other end.

Ask yourself if you are willing to fraudulently use valuable NHS resources and risk a fine for the sake of paying for a test. Travel is a luxury, not a right.

I hope this supports both my opinion, and that of others to satisfy your needs.

jplevene

CKhalvashi said:

It has to have a certificate, as far as I'm aware by a certified laboratory.

The paid video tests are acceptable, as are those done in a controlled setting. The NHS tests are not. Specifically stated here is the following: COVID-19 testing for the purposes of international travel is not available on the NHS.

You will be expected to provide a certificate either in electronic or paper form on arrival in the UK, as stated here, and through the NHS testing system you will be unable to do this. This is if you actually make it onto the plane due to the checks by handling companies at the other end.

Ask yourself if you are willing to fraudulently use valuable NHS resources and risk a fine for the sake of paying for a test. Travel is a luxury, not a right.

I hope this supports both my opinion, and that of others to satisfy your needs.

It does not need to be a certificate, gov.uk quote:

You must provide the original test result notification. It must include the following information:

• your name, which should match the name on your travel documents
• your date of birth or age
• the result of the test
• the date the test sample was collected or received by the test provider
• the name of the test provider and their contact details
• confirmation of the device used for the test, or that the test was a PCR test

The NHS test gives you the results as quoted. 

It is not fraudulent to use the tests in this way, don't spew out pathetic dispersions to people as it doesn't make you right.

Sandtree

jplevene said:

We intend to go to Spain, however when returning we need to have a test within 2 days of departing for re-entry back into the UK.  The Government website outlines it here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-for-people-travelling-to-england#type-of-test

It states that a "an antigen test, such as a test from a lateral flow device" is acceptable. The free NHS test is a lateral flow test.  You also get an email back, in English, the test results confirming your name, date of birth, the test date, the result, the provider (being the NHS) and confirmation it was a lateral flow test, being all the requirements mentioned in the above webpage.

As far as I can tell, this seems to tick all of the boxes and is acceptable.

This test is not for going to another country, but for returning.  There is information stating that NHS tests can't be used for travel to GO ABROAD, but nothing about coming back.

My question is, can the free NHS kit be used for re-entry, or is there some clause somewhere in the mess of regulation that I haven't seen?

You are required to have a certified result. So the NHS self test is useless because it won't give you a certified result.

The requirements are intentionally non-specific because of the fact that different countries have different tests available; you won't see LAMP tests being talked about here much but they are used elsewhere and the website even gives it as an example of what may be an appropriate test. So the requirement is that the test is:

The test must meet performance standards of ≥97% specificity, ≥80% sensitivity at viral loads above 100,000 copies/ml.


And then in terms of the issued certificate it must be:

Your test result must be in either English, French or Spanish. Translations will not be accepted.

You must provide the original test result notification. It must include the following information:

• your name, which should match the name on your travel documents
• your date of birth or age
• the result of the test
• the date the test sample was collected or received by the test provider
• the name of the test provider and their contact details
• confirmation of the device used for the test, or that the test was a PCR test

CKhalvashi

jplevene said:

CKhalvashi said:

It has to have a certificate, as far as I'm aware by a certified laboratory.

The paid video tests are acceptable, as are those done in a controlled setting. The NHS tests are not. Specifically stated here is the following: COVID-19 testing for the purposes of international travel is not available on the NHS.

You will be expected to provide a certificate either in electronic or paper form on arrival in the UK, as stated here, and through the NHS testing system you will be unable to do this. This is if you actually make it onto the plane due to the checks by handling companies at the other end.

Ask yourself if you are willing to fraudulently use valuable NHS resources and risk a fine for the sake of paying for a test. Travel is a luxury, not a right.

I hope this supports both my opinion, and that of others to satisfy your needs.

It does not need to be a certificate, gov.uk quote:

You must provide the original test result notification. It must include the following information:

• your name, which should match the name on your travel documents
• your date of birth or age
• the result of the test
• the date the test sample was collected or received by the test provider
• the name of the test provider and their contact details
• confirmation of the device used for the test, or that the test was a PCR test

The NHS test gives you the results as quoted. 

It is not fraudulent to use the tests in this way, don't spew out pathetic dispersions to people as it doesn't make you right.

And who has checked that you have taken the test in this case?

Are you a registered healthcare provider? If no, you will not be able to produce a test notification from one.

You will still be expected to provide a certificate either in electronic or paper form on arrival in the UK with full details of the testing provider used. You will be unable to do this, and therefore will likely be denied boarding due to not meeting the requirements for entry to the UK.

As per the NHS link above, you cannot use NHS testing facilities for the purpose of international travel.

And whatever your view, you are defrauding the NHS of valuable resources by attempting to do this. Being rude to people pointing this out to you is not going to change this.

silvercar

If you turn up at the airport with just the NHS text or email proof of your LFT, chances re very high that you won’t be allowed to board the plane. Airline’s get fined for transporting people who don’t have the correct test certificates and won’t risk it, just because you are adamant it complies.
as others have said, it isn’t compliant because there is no evidence that your reporting of your test result is the truth or that you actually took the test yourself and properly.

elsien

The home test LFT has no checks at all. You could just not do it and still use the code to log a negative result. So nothing certified about it, at all. Open to people telling porkies if they wish. 

jplevene

I appreciate that there are many opinions here of what people believe are true, however unless you can point to an official source to back your opinion, it's just hearsay and not what I asked, as being blunt, your opinion without evidence is not fact, plain and simple.

Many have said that the home checks must have independent verification or certificate.  PLEASE READ https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-for-people-travelling-to-england#type-of-test as this is not a criteria they have asked for. 

I appreciate that it is "your interpretation" or opinion, but that is not law or what is written as the requirements on the government website!  Unless you can backup your opinion, what you are saying is not just useless, it's misleading.