Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing before you travel to England
You need proof of a negative COVID-19 test to travel to England from abroad.
People who arrive in England from Ethiopia after 4am Thursday 16
December will need proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
Applies to England
Some people, including children aged 11 and under, are exempt from taking the test.
When to take your test
You must take the test in the 2 days before your service to England departs.
For example, if you travel directly to England on Friday, you could take a test any time on the Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. The test result must be available for boarding.
If your journey to England is a multi-leg journey, you can take the test in the 2 days before the start of the first leg.
Type of test
The test must meet performance standards of ≥97% specificity, ≥80% sensitivity at viral loads above 100,000 copies/ml.
This could include tests such as:
- a nucleic acid test, including a PCR test
- a LAMP test
- an antigen test, such as an LFD (lateral flow device) test
You must check with your test provider that the test meets the standards. You may not be able to travel if it does not.
If you have recently had COVID
If you have recently recovered from COVID but are no longer infectious, you should use a lateral flow device (LFD) test. LFD tests have a lower sensitivity than PCR or LAMP tests, so they are less likely to return a positive result from a historic infection. The LFD test must meet the minimum performance standards as set out above.
Where to take your test
You will need to find a private test provider to take a test.
You can choose to take a test:
- in the place where you start your journey
- in another country on your way to England, if you are travelling through another country
Where possible, the government travel advice pages provide information about finding a testing provider.
Taking a test on your journey to England
If your journey to England is long, and will involve stopping in another country on the way, you should try to take a test in the country you’re travelling through. This is so you take the test in the 2 days before you board the final service to England.
For example, if you’re driving from Germany and you stop for a few days in Belgium, you should take a test in Belgium.
If your journey to England is a multi-leg journey, you can take the test in the 2 days before the start of the first leg. However, where possible, you should get a test within 2 days of your final departure point to England.
Check that you will be able to get a test
If you plan to take a test in a country on your way to England, you must make sure that this is possible before you set out. Some countries have entry restrictions in place, which mean you may not be able to get tested there.
If you do not have proof of a test because you planned to get tested on your journey, but you were not able to do so because you were not able to enter the country in which you planned to get tested, you will be allowed to board. But you may be fined £500 on arrival in England because you do not have a valid test result.
Taking your test in the UK before travel
If you are returning to the UK within 2 days, you can use the result of a COVID-19 test that you take in the UK before you travel. You must use a private test provider for the test and not an NHS test.
The service on which you will arrive back in the UK must set off for the UK within 2 days of when you took the test, or within 2 days of the start of the first leg of your journey for multi-leg journeys.
Positive test results
If your test result is positive, you must not travel. You must follow local rules and guidance for positive coronavirus cases.
If the result is inconclusive, you must take another test.
British nationals who need consular assistance should contact the nearest consulate, embassy or high commission.
How to provide proof of a negative test result
Proof for EU residents or citizens
If you are an EU resident or citizen, you can use the EU Digital Covid Certificate (EU-DCC) to provide proof of your test result. This can be in either digital or paper format.
If you are not an EU resident or citizen, you cannot use the EU-DCC to provide proof of your test result.
Proof for non-EU residents and citizens
You must provide the original test result notification. Your test result must be in either English, French or Spanish. Translations will not be accepted.
Your test result can be provided as:
- a printed document
- an email or text message you can show on your phone - make sure your device is charged
It must include the following information:
- 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
If you do not have proof of a negative test result
If you do not present proof you tested negative, you may not be able to board your transport to England.
If you arrive in England without proof you tested negative, you could be fined £500.
NHS tests
NHS tests cannot be used for the purpose of pre-departure testing before travel to England.
You cannot take an NHS test abroad with you to use on yourself before you return.
Exemptions – people who do not need to take a test
Children
Children aged 11 and under do not have to take a COVID-19 test before travel to England.
Children aged 12 to 17 must take a COVID-19 test in the 2 days before travel to England.
Read more about children and COVID-19 travel tests in the Travel to England guidance.
Children who have been in a red list country or territory
Children aged 11 and under do not have to take a COVID-19 test before travel to England.
Children aged 12 to 17 who have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before they arrive in England must take a COVID-19 test in the 2 days before travel to England.
Job and medical exemptions
You do not need to take a test if you are travelling to the UK:
- for urgent medical treatment or are accompanying someone who is travelling for urgent medical treatment, and it is not reasonably practical for you to obtain a negative COVID-19 test in the 2 days before departure
- if you have a medical condition which means you cannot take a test – you must present a note from a medical practitioner at check in and to Border Force staff on arrival in England
Some people are exempt from some or all of the requirements because of the job they do
Travel from some countries
Ethiopia update from Thursday 16 December
If you arrive in England from Ethiopia after 4am on Thursday 16 December, you will need proof of a negative COVID-19 test. You must take the test no more than 2 days before you travel.
You do not need to take a test if you began your journey to England from:
- Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Jersey or Guernsey
- Ethiopia - if you arrive before 4am on Thursday 16 December. If you arrive after this time, then on arrival in England, you will need proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 2 days before your service departs.
- Falkland Islands
- St Helena or Ascension
This applies even if you do not qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England.
Passenger locator form
You must complete a passenger locator form before you travel to England.
Testing and quarantine after you arrive in England
This guidance tells you about COVID-19 testing before you travel to England.
You can read other guidance about what you need to check before you travel, the tests you need to take and if you need to quarantine in England when you:
Last updated 13 December 2021
