The latest in travel rules as all remaining UK restrictions have been lifted –

Earlier this week, it was announced that all remaining international travel restrictions will be lifted for all UK travelers ahead of the Easter holiday.

By 4 a.m. on Friday, all restrictions on Covid-19 passengers had been lifted, which Transportation Secretary Grant Shaps called a “world-leading” decision.

From March 18:

• To get to the UK, you will no longer need a Passenger Tracking Form (PLF).
• No tests are required for travelers who have not been vaccinated
• Unvaccinated travelers will not have to take the test before departure and after the second day of testing arrives.

Due to the current state of the pandemic and the return to normal global travel volumes, the hotel-operated quarantine capacity will also be reduced completely by the end of March.

Although all international travel requirements for entry to Northern Ireland have been eliminated, this may not be the case for many international destinations.

Before you book for Easter, be sure to check your destination’s entry requirements on Gov.uk to make sure you’re prepared.

Here are the requirements for some popular destinations:

Spain

Everyone (including children under 12 years old) traveling by air or sea must complete and sign a health check form online, and upon arrival at Spanish ports and airports it is necessary to show the QR code issued.

At least 14 days prior to arrival in Spain, proof of complete vaccination (either with one dose of the single-dose vaccine or one dose of the single-dose vaccine) must be provided.

If you have not been fully vaccinated but have recovered from COVID-19 in the past six months, you may also use a medical certificate or recovery history to confirm your COVID-19 status when entering Spain.

Children under the age of 12 do not need to show evidence of full vaccination on entry, undergo pre-arrival diagnostic tests, and demonstrate that they have recovered from a previous COVID-19 infection within the past six months.

UK travelers between the ages of 12 and 17 can enter Spain by providing documentation that they have taken a COVID-19 DNA Enhancement Test – NAAT (PCR or similar) within 72 hours of arriving in Spain.

France

Fully vaccinated travelers over 12 years of age must continue to:

• Vaccination test. More details on what a fully immunized vaccine is to be found below
• A statement of honor, confirming that you have no symptoms of COVID-19 and have not had contact with confirmed cases for 14 days prior to departure.

France will receive British proof of recovery and vaccination registration for COVID-19 at the border. The final dose of the vaccine should be given at least 7 days before travel to Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer/Bioantek, Moderna or 28 days after the second dose of Johnson & Johnson.

Travelers over 18 years of age who completed the full course of vaccination more than 9 months ago and have not received a COVID-19 booster vaccine since then must follow the rules for unvaccinated travelers.

Travelers who have not been fully vaccinated should ensure that:

• A completed international travel certificate confirming the reason for the requested travel (not required for minors under 18 years of age accompanied by vaccinated adults)
• A negative PCR result obtained within 72 hours or an antigen test result within 48 hours prior to departure if the age is greater than 12 years.
• A statement of honor, confirming that you have no symptoms of COVID-19 and have not had contact with confirmed cases for 14 days prior to departure.

You may also need to take a test on arrival. If you get a positive test result on arrival, you will need to self-isolate according to French rules.

The French Interior Ministry’s website states that all children under the age of 12 are exempt from all travel restrictions with COVID-19.

Italia

Adult travelers must complete a Passenger Tracking Form (EU PLF) to enter or travel to Italy as a guest.

The EU PLF will generate a QR code to show to your travel service provider before boarding the plane.

All travelers over 6 years old must show one of the following:

• Proof of vaccination
• Evidence of a negative PCR test obtained within 72 hours prior to entry into Italy or a negative rapid lateral flow test obtained within 48 hours of entry into Italy or
• The COVID-19 Recovery Certificate confirms that you have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 6 months

If you cannot provide evidence of vaccination or test negative or approved COVID-19 treatment, you will need:

All arrivals from the UK to Sicily must pass the express lateral flow test on arrival (administered free of charge by local health authorities).

Regardless of your vaccination status, anyone arriving in Italy by air, land or sea may be subject to an occasional COVID test upon arrival.

Children and minors do not need to fill out a separate form for the passenger location. Accompanying minors can be registered in the Declaration Department, in the Advertising Department, in the form of an accompanying adult passenger locator from the European Union.

Children under the age of 5 do not have to take the test to enter Italy.

Portugal

All travelers to mainland Portugal and the Azores must complete a passenger tracking form prior to arrival.

If you are fully vaccinated, you can enter Portugal without taking the test.

To qualify for the full vaccination rules, you must have a vaccination certificate certifying that you have:

• The full course of the vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency, as described below, at least 14 days before arrival and no more than 270 days before arrival, or
• The full course of the vaccine, as described below, plus the booster vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency at least 14 days prior to arrival

You will be considered fully catering if you have:

• Either a two-dose vaccine dose, or a combination of two different vaccines, or
• One approved vaccine, or
• A full course of the vaccine, plus the booster vaccine, or
• If you are infected after one of two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and your certificate indicates that your vaccination cycle ended after only one dose of the vaccine

If you have not been fully vaccinated, you must show evidence of a negative PCR test (done no later than 72 hours prior to admission) or a rapid lateral flow test (done no later than 24 hours prior to admission). Your trip to the Portuguese mainland. Tests for self-employed workers are not accepted.