psychopomp1

I need to travel to UK (Scotland) next week for 10 days or so from Doha, looking to avoid the 10 day UK hotel quaratine since Qatar is on the 'red list' of countries. Is my best option to travel via Istanbul on 2 separate tickets (eg DOH-IST and IST-EDI) and spend a day or two in IST getting a PCR test? I've already had 2 doses of Pfizer vaccine in Qatar so chances of being infected are low.
Cheers.

spouse of scouse

If you fly directly to Scotland from abroad, you'll need to quarantine at a hotel in Scotland for 10 days (11 nights) as soon as you arrive. 'Abroad' means flying to Scotland from outside the UK (including Northern Ireland), Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
https://www.gov.scot/publications/co...t-you-must-do/

psychopomp1

Thanks for the heads up, in that case will have to fly to England from a country not on the red list such as Turkey.

christmasoompa

That won't work either (sorry!), unless you spend at least 10 days in Turkey before onward travel. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transpor...ns-of-covid-19

flares

I've a feeling the hotel quarantine rules may change soon. Maybe from a UK news clip I wasn't really paying too much attention to.

nonthaburi

More info here. You will still have to hotel quarantine in England before traveling to Scotland, as Qatar is a red list country. Unless you spend 10 days somewhere else before arriving. In which case, just spend 10 days in Turkey and then fly direct to Edinburgh.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/co...you-must-do/If you fly from abroad to an airport in England, you must quarantine in a hotel in England if you have travelled through an area of acute risk during the 10 days before you arrive in England.

You can find a list of countries on the acute list (red list) on gov.uk.

To get help booking hotels in England, use the quarantine hotel booking service.

If you have not travelled through one of these acute risk areas in the 10 days before arriving in England, you will not need to quarantine in a hotel. Instead, you must self-isolate for 10 days (11 nights), either at home or anywhere else you are planning to stay in Scotland, unless you are exempt. Only a small number of people, such as those travelling for essential work, are exempt.

Covid testing

As well as self-isolating, you must also book a COVID-19 testing kit.

You will need to take a COVID-19 test on day 2 and day 8 of your 10 day self-isolation.

COVID-19 testing kits cost £210 for each person, and will be delivered to the address where you are self-isolating.

If you have a positive COVID-19 test while self-isolating, you may need to isolate for longer.

Please note that if you are travelling to Scotland and require to book a testing package, you should only do so using the link below. Testing kits bought from private sector providers are not eligible for these purposes.

In addition, there are currently different requirements regarding the testing of certain sectoral workforces between Scotland and England.​​​​

Travelling on to Scotland

If you are travelling on to Scotland after isolating for 10 days in England, you will not need to isolate for a second time in Scotland.

Test to Release does not apply in Scotland. If you took a test on day 5 after arriving in England in order to end your isolation early, you will still need to complete the 10 days of isolation when you reach Scotland.

I would be wary of increased checks at the border about your travel history if you're thinking of breaking the rules.

psychopomp1

Thanks guys. If i was to buy a Doha-Istanbul-Manchester ticket with no stopover in IST, I presume I would be asked proof of UK 10 day hotel quarantine booking when checking in at Doha? Otherwise I guess I wouldn't be allowed to travel by TK? There's nothing on TK's website for this requirement when travelling to UK from 'red list' countries on TK airlines.

Millhouse

Are you trying to illegally avoid the quarantine requirement?

weasel decentral

If you are vaccinated can you avoid the hotel quarantine and just home quarantine?

spouse of scouse

No.

UKMS

just like James Hogan 😃

Ex-Etihad boss swapped passport and tried to avoid quarantine
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ticle-masthead

christmasoompa

I can't imagine Doha will check your quarantine plans in the UK. But one click on a computer will show the UK where you've originated from. Fine of £10k and prison term of up to 10 years () if caught lying so I wouldn't consider trying to get around the rules.

If you really don't want to do the hotel quarantine thing, then can you delay your trip maybe? Rules may change at some point in the not too distant future.

nonthaburi

My experience of flying to a destination with a compulsory hotel quarantine was that they did check all docs at check-in. One of the reasons they say to allow extra time at the airport. This was leaving Riyadh flying to Bangkok.

psychopomp1

Ok didn’t want to risk it so have booked 2 separate flights - DOH-SAW (QR) and SAW-MAN (Pegasus airlines) 48hrs later, staying at an airport hotel in Istanbul. I’ve got tonnes of Iraqi HIV stamps in my passport (all in Arabic), I’m sure they’ll come in handy at UK border control if necessary Then after clearing customs at MAN, it’s a rental car all the way up to Scotland via M6/A9.

spouse of scouse

That won't work. You still have to quarantine in England, and if you've been in a red listed country in the previous 10 days this needs to be in a managed quarantine hotel. https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control...ave-for-the-uk