COVID-19 Travel Requirements for Overseas Visitors

As of 6th April, overseas visitors to Tattersalls are advised of the following government guidelines regarding COVID-19 travel requirements.

Ireland:

Travellers arriving in the UK from Ireland do not have to present a negative COVID-19 test or self-isolate as it is part of the Common Travel Area. Purchasers and vendors are therefore able to travel freely to Newmarket from Ireland and are not subject to any additional restrictions.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-quarantine-when-you-arrive-in-england

All Other Countries:

Pre-Departure Test

All travellers arriving in the UK, with the exception of travellers from the Common Travel Area (Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands), must present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 3 days of departure. Travellers must take a test even if they have already had the COVID-19 vaccine.  

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

The test result can be provided as a printed document, or an email or text message on a phone. The test result must be in either English, French or Spanish, translations will not be accepted.  The test result notification must include:

• 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 test must meet performance standards of “≥97% specificity, ≥80% sensitivity at viral loads above 100,000 copies/ml”; this could include a PCR test, a LAMP test or a lateral flow test. The government encourages travellers to check whether their test provider meets these standards.  

Passenger Locator Form  

Travellers (with the exception of travellers from the Common Travel Area) must complete a Passenger Locator Form online before travelling to the UK. This can be submitted any time in the 48 hours before arrival in the UK, and travellers will need to show their form when they check in to travel to the UK.  

Travellers will need to provide information including:

• Their 'Travel Testing Package' booking reference number (see details below)
• The name of their 'Test to Release' test provider (see details below)

https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk    

Testing on Arrival  

1. Travel Testing Package  

Travellers arriving in the UK (with the exception of travellers from the Common Travel Area) must book a travel test package with an approved government provider prior to travel, which costs c. £175- £200. The testing provider will provide a unique reference code, which must be included on the traveller’s Passenger Locator Form.  

The ‘Travel Test Package’ includes a test on or before Day 2 and a second test on or after Day 8. Testing can be done via an at-home-testing kit sent to a specified delivery address and returned via post (recommended).  

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/providers-of-day-2-and-day-8-coronavirus-testing-for-international-arrivals    

2. ‘Test to Release’ Scheme  

Travellers from the Common Travel Area do not have to self-isolate. For all other countries (excluding the Travel Ban Red List, see details below) travellers are required to self-isolate for 10 days but can shorten their quarantine period by paying for a private test through the ‘Test to Release’ scheme.  

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-quarantine-when-you-arrive-in-england  

https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control/ending-self-isolation-early-through-test-to-release  

Travellers must book a test with an eligible private provider before arriving in the UK and declare that they will be using the ‘Test to Release’ scheme on their Passenger Locator Form.  The cost of a government-approved test is c. £100 - £150, and the list of eligible private providers can be found here:  

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-private-providers-of-coronavirus-testing/list-of-private-providers-of-coronavirus-testing  

The test can be taken 5 days after arriving in the UK and the turnaround time from most providers is within c. 24 hours from when the sample reaches the lab. The test can be taken at a private test centre or at home, and delivery of the sample can be in person, by same-day courier or by Royal Mail (the expense of the test varies accordingly). Travellers can stop self-isolating as soon as they receive their negative result.    

Red List Travel Ban Countries  

Travellers from the ‘Red List Travel Ban’ countries will be refused entry to the UK, with the exception of British or Irish Nationals or those with residence rights in the UK.  

The aforementioned travellers permitted to enter the UK must quarantine in a government approved hotel for 10 days. The ‘Test to Release’ scheme is not available for travellers from ‘Red List Travel Ban’ countries or for travellers who have been in those countries in the 10 days before they arrive in England.  

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-measures-to-protect-the-uk-from-variant-strains-of-covid-19

For further information please contact Chloe Pitts on chloe.pitts@tattersalls.com or +44 7342 010525.