October: a new order for travelers to the UK: 4 major changes



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Identity cards are no longer enough

Under the amended immigration rules, foreigners arriving in the UK for short visits or on a visa after October 1 will be required to have a passport. Identity cards issued by the EU are no longer considered a valid document to enter the UK.

The exception is for those who live in the UK (they have settled / pre-settled status). EU citizens with Brexit status in the UK will still be able to use their cards until 2025.

No more party traffic light colors

To date, the UK has divided every country in the world into three lists based on their epidemiological status: green; amber; Red.

As of October 4, 4 pm in the morning, it will be gone. Starting Monday, only the red list will remain, and green and amber will combine – it will become the “rest of the world.” The people who come from them will not have to isolate themselves.

It is important to remember that all those coming to the UK will continue to be required to complete a Passenger Location Statement. form.

What list will Lithuania be on?

Lithuania is currently on the green list of countries, so there will be “the rest of the world” after the changes. UK authorities will update the list every three weeks, with the next dates being October 7 and 28. Changes usually take effect after 3-4 days. However, it is emphasized that in case of a sudden deterioration of the epidemiological situation in a country, it can be included in the red list before the scheduled date.

What if Lithuania were on the red list?

If the country you come from or have been in the last 10 countries is on the red list, you will have 11 days to isolate yourself in a quarantine hotel. It does not matter if you are vaccinated or not. You must book a hotel and take your first coronavirus test before traveling to the UK. The price is £ 2,285 per person, £ 3,715 for a couple, two parents and two over 11s. for a family of children – 6,575. Two tests will be required during isolation.

There are now 54 countries on the UK Red List, mostly from South America, South Africa, as well as Southeast Asia, Central America and the Caribbean. The geographically closest red list countries are Montenegro and Tunisia. It also has such popular vacation destinations as Mexico, Thailand, Tanzania.

Necessary COVID tests will be reduced, isolation will not be required, but only for vaccinated people

Starting Monday, fully vaccinated people from countries not on the red list will need fewer COVID-19 tests and will not have to isolate themselves at home.

Vaccinated people will no longer need a COVID-19 test before traveling. It will no longer be necessary on the eighth day of arrival in the country. However, the obligation to take the test on the second day will remain.

However, those who have not been vaccinated will continue to test negative for COVID-19 prior to travel, taking the test on both the second and eighth day of arrival in the UK. They will also need to be isolated at home for 10 days.

Antigen testing instead of PCR

Another change that is particularly relevant to travelers is expected to take effect at the end of October, when UK authorities announce that day two PCR tests could be replaced by rapid antigen tests. However, this discount will only apply to fully vaccinated individuals from outside the red states.

Rapid antigen tests are significantly cheaper than PCR, sometimes twice as much.

The change is expected to take effect in the second half of October, but the exact date is not announced. It is not yet clear whether this will apply to the entire country; so far only England and Scotland have talked about it.



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