EU family coming over for short stay in UK?

Saria

Ok, so we are confused about the testing requirements in the UK and I would love some advice/help on this!

We are getting married August 22nd, on a Sunday, in Hampshire (we live in Dorset). My family live in Belgium and they are hoping to drive up here if France is moved off the Amber+ list next week, so they can take the Eurotunnel in Calais to come over. 

The plan is for them to drive up on Friday morning, take the Eurotunnel around noon so they would arrive in Hampshire on Friday evening. On Monday, they would then drive back around noon, take the Eurotunnel again to arrive home in Belgium on Monday evening. 

It's a party of about 8 adults, 3 children (aged 6, 3 and 2) and a baby. All adults will have been fully vaccinated. 
Now I understand that the adults will need a PCR test before travelling to the UK, as well as filling in a Passenger Locator form and having proof of vaccination status. The children won't need anything I think?

Once they are in the UK, they will need a Day 2 PCR test (the 6 year old as well?). However here lies the issue.
First of all, I find it impossible to find a test site where they could go to to have the test taken, so I assume they would have to get a home test delivered.
But if they arrive on Friday evening, I don't see how they can get their test posted to the lab in time and receive their results before they drive back on Monday? How are they supposed to get their results over a short weekend stay? Does it matter? 

I'm at a bit of a loss on what to do right now. Is there any way to find out if there are test sites available in certain locations? The government provider list is useless!
And where would be the best/cheapest place to order these tests? I assume I can order them in advance to have them delivered at my home, then take them to my family when they arrive?

Thanks, any help would be so much appreciated! Planning this wedding has been a nightmare, and I would love to be able to at least have my close family there. I haven't seen them in a year and never even met my youngest nephew! 

unforeseen

https://www.gov.uk/find-travel-test-provider
It must be booked BEFORE travel as the reference number must be put on the passenger locator form. 

michael1234

I _think_ the answer is they have to waste money buying a day 2 test that will never be taken or acted upon. i.e. They purchase it before they arrive just so they have the correct refence number on their "passenger locator form" and can thus be let into the country. Whether or not they actually receive the test and are able to to get their day 2 resuts before they depart, is from a practical point of view not that relevant as they would depart Folkstone/Dover as normal and I don't believe anyone will ask them anything about their day 2 test on departure from the UK.

I am happy to be corrected if I'm wrong so please don't take my advice (or any here frankly) as a certainty. Assuming I'm right we have yet another example of the mess of rules in which people are expected to operate under. Hopefully people will vote with their feet come next election.

unforeseen

Our rules are no more convoluted than some other European countries.
At least we have a 2 day get out test, others are at 7 days and expect you to quarantine. 

onashoestring

Really hope your family can get to your wedding and you all have a lovely celebration.

You are correct  a Day 2 test is required for the adults and any child aged 5 or over .

The Day 2 test must be taken in the UK on or before day 2 - so if you purchase the tests from the government suppliers list and arrange for them to be sent to your address . Then your family can take them & post them back on the day they arrive - Friday - check the T&Cs for provider’s the turnaround times - you should be able to get them back before they return.
 

However they will not be prevented from leaving the UK without having received the results - ( they will need to do whatever is  required for returning to France. )

If the test come back negative after they have returned at least you will all have peace of mind after mixing at your wedding that no one was spreading COVID .

If the Day 2 test come back as Positive for COVID, you will at least know who mixed together and all be able to isolate to stop further spread. Really hope that doesn’t happen and the risks are less as they are travelling by car and not by plane where they would be mixing with other passengers.

silvercar

They need to take the test by the end of day 2, Monday in their case. As they will already have left the Uk by the end of Monday, they don’t need to actually take the test.

if they need to test to return either from the Eurotunnel or from French or Belgium rules, they could use their day 2 test as their travelling home test - provided they get a certificate for it showing the relevant details.

if their travel arrangements make all this difficult, they should pick a day 2 provider that will send the tests in the post to your address in advance. Choose the cheapest provider they can find. If the tests arrive in time they can use them, if not it doesn’t really matter as they are leaving on day 2. 

They need to make sure they comply with the rules for travelling back to Belgium.

onashoestring

As they arrive Friday ( Day 0 ) Day 2 will be Sunday 

Saria

Thank you for the replies everyone!

So France has been moved to Amber so we are now quickly trying to figure out their travel plans!
However, does anyone know if they can take an antigen test for the pre-departure test before coming to the UK? Or does it have to be a PCR test? I've seen some conflicting information about this. 

p3ncilsharpener

Saria said:

Thank you for the replies everyone!

So France has been moved to Amber so we are now quickly trying to figure out their travel plans!
However, does anyone know if they can take an antigen test for the pre-departure test before coming to the UK? Or does it have to be a PCR test? I've seen some conflicting information about this. 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-for-people-travelling-to-england

They need to take a test, not specifically a PCR test.  The Government is only advising it be a PCR test.

Saria

Sorry for all the quesions, does anyone know if this company is legit? Their price is the lowest I've seen anywhere but they are not listed on the MSE list for cheap providers. Honestly don't know where is best to order the day 2 test kits from!

https://www.expert-medicals.co.uk/products/fully-vaccinated-amber-arrivals-day-2-test-kit-home-kit

Also, does anyone know what they mean by the following question?
Date you last departed from or transited through a country/territory outside the common travel area?

My family would be travelling from Belgium, through France to the UK. So does this question not apply to them? 

Etch

Saria said:
Also, does anyone know what they mean by the following question?
Date you last departed from or transited through a country/territory outside the common travel area?

My family would be travelling from Belgium, through France to the UK. So does this question not apply to them? 

The "common travel area" (CTA) is basically the UK and Ireland, so the question does apply to them, since the last country they "departed from or transited through" will be France, which is outside the CTA.