GrahamF

If returning to Wales, only one test provider can be used @ £68 or £136 depending on vaccination status, wonder who's getting a kickback?

toots sweet

We had no idea this was the case when we returned to the UK, so just used a gov recommended tester. Had no problems.Got 3 telephone calls while in quarantine and that was it.
Crazy idea... do they really want to waste time and money chasing someone who hasn't used their exclusive test provider. Just be glad that we bothered at all.
If you use the home tests there is so much room for exploitation.

GrahamF

The Welsh restriction on test providers is recent, we used one off the government list a few months ago. It was a joke, we had three phone calls and each time they told us when the next would be, when I questioned that and pointed out they should be at random times, the reply was they had had too many complaints. Totally pointless!

Pistolpete2

I'm trying to get a full appreciation of the rules for returning to the UK from an amber country where one's status, for one reason or another, is not regarded as fully-vaccinated and therefore one has to go into isolation for ten days.

We have a house to go into in the UK (ours) but not right away.

I've approached a couple of hotels for one or two night's stay prior to access to our own home and it's no-go. I'm not even sure what the rules are for being allowed to stay in a hotel prior to moving into one's own home though the rules as I read them say that in exceptional circumstances one can move within the isolation period. We arrive in the UK (LGW) next Wednesday and our place isn't available (it's tenanted right now) until the Friday, after it has been cleaned.

We could always change our flight by a day to ease things just a bit, though that is now expensive.

Can't change dates by much - 90 days in 180 and we are 88 already.

Premier Inn Germany's rules state that if you have been tested within 24 hours of check-in and have proof of being vaccinated then it's a go. I'm wondering whether the UK is similar though Premier Inn's website is not clear on that.

We had booked an airbnb to cover the isolation period but cancelled as that seemed bonkers when we have our own place to move into and coordinate furniture and all (without actually letting them in through the front door) for most of the time.

I accept that there could be a good bit of explaining to do at the Border.

However, I've spoken to Premier Inn now and from their perspective we are permitted to stay in their rooms with no other facilities and they allow you to order in which goes to the front desk and then they bring your order to the room.

So it's just the Border to be attended to.

NataHH

Pistolpete
I think there will be a travel review this Thursday perhaps travel restrictions will be eased - one lives in hope.

Rambling archer

So Portugal is still on the amber list for the UK. Note that different rules are for different parts of the UK so for instance, Wales or Scotland or NI you have to check their rules. Look up https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/portugal. So if you are going to England the following apply
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-a...virus-covid-19

Before you travel to England - from Amber listed countries (eg Portugal)

Before you travel to England you must:

• take a COVID-19 test – you must take the test in the 3 days before you travel to England
• book and pay for COVID-19 tests – to be taken after arrival in England
• complete a passenger locator form

You must do these things whether you are fully vaccinated or not.

When you arrive in England

If you are not fully vaccinated

If you do not qualify under the fully vaccinated rules, on arrival in England you must:

• quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days
• take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8

How to quarantine

If you must quarantine when you arrive in England, you must travel directly to the place you’re staying.

You must not leave until 10 days have passed.

The quarantine period is continuous from the day you arrive in England, and lasts for the next 10 full days after the day you arrived until 11:59pm on day 10. This period is necessary because it can take up to 10 days for COVID-19 symptoms to appear.

To count the days:

• the day you arrive in England is day 0
• the day after you arrive is day 1, and so on

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-q...ive-in-englandThere does not seem to be an option for moving within the quarantine period of 10 days. BUT there is this which might allow you to at least overnight before going to your home ... and there is a lot more detail of do's and don't's.
"Long journeys to your quarantine accommodationIf you have a long journey within the UK to arrive at the place where you’ll be quarantining, you may be able to stop overnight in accommodation where you can quarantine yourself from others before continuing your journey.

You must follow the guidance on how to stay safe and prevent the spread of COVID-19. You must quarantine and provide the address of your overnight stop on your passenger locator form in addition to your declared accommodation address."

Hope you can get it sorted out!

Pistolpete2

We will be good to go on a direct flight from (green) Funchal to Gatwick on Wednesday in spite of the fact that since we were vaccinated in Grenada that doesn't count for UK purposes.

The reportage in the UK newspapers is as always incredibly poor in the details so it's best to read the UK Government website and in particular the heading which states:

Changes to international travel rules

From 4am Monday 4 October 2021, the rules for international travel to England will change from the red, amber, green traffic light system to a single red list of countries and simplified travel measures for arrivals from the rest of the world. The rules for travel from countries and territories not on the red list will depend on your vaccination status.

When the newspapers are saying the word NOW, it hardly helps those who are about to travel but after 4:00 am on Wednesday.