The rules for travelling to and from the UK are set to be eased, following the government’s latest announcement earlier today.
Restrictions for pre-departure tests have been reviewed recently, leading the government to share that as of 4am Friday 7th January, pre-departure testing will no longer be required for travellers returning to the UK.
People arriving in the UK will no longer have to isolate until they get a negative PCR test, but will instead have to take a lateral flow test at the end of day two after arriving. If this is then positive, a PCR test will be required to confirm and help identify any new variants.
Boris Johnson told the House of Commons the pre-departure measure, introduced a month ago in reaction to the Omicron variant, will be removed as now Omicron is so prevalent the measure is “having limited impact”.
This easing of restrictions removes a barrier to travel, making it much easier to arrange and plan holidays, as well as saving costs that would otherwise have been spent on these testing requirements.
Research commissioned by Manchester Airports Group (MAG) and trade body Airlines UK indicated that removing all international travel testing would not affect the spread of the omicron variant in the UK.
You can read the latest requirements for travel on our Cruise Hub, which details documentation, testing and health and safety protocols for cruise lines.