Travel changes for Wales as testing rules set to be relaxed

The Welsh Government is dropping the advice to only travel abroad for essential journeys and from Friday 11th February people who have had 2 Covid jabs will no longer need a pre-departure test two days before travelling to the UK.

The only requirement will be for them to complete a Passenger Locator Form;

Unvaccinated travellers should complete a Passenger Location Form, a pre-departure test within two days of their scheduled departure, and a PCR arrival test taken on or before day two.

All under-18s, regardless of their vaccination status, can now enter the UK without a pre-departure test.

But the Welsh Government’s raised with the UK Government about the speed at which it has removed public health protections in relation to international travel.

Practical difficulties

The First Minister said in a statement:

“The unravelling of the system of international arrival surveillance in particular, leaves a major gap in future protections. We continue to advocate a more precautionary approach towards retaining these public health protections because of the ongoing risk of importing new variants of Covid-19 through international travel.

“However, in view of the significant practical difficulties associated with diverging from the arrangements in England in this area – a significant number of Welsh travellers use English airports and ports – we are reluctantly retaining alignment with the decisions made by the UK Government and agreed by the other devolved governments. “

It means that in Wales there will be measures to encourage travellers arriving into Wales to take a lateral flow test, plus a follow-up PCR test if positive, as well as clear advice and guidance for international travellers.

Moving on from Omicron

In a statement the First Minister said the vaccination programme had changed things:

“Throughout the pandemic, we have taken a precautionary approach towards international travel because of the risks of contracting coronavirus while abroad and importing new forms of the virus into the UK.

“We have advised people to only travel overseas if their journey is essential and have urged people to consider a holiday in the UK.

“Thanks to the success of our fantastic vaccination programme, the vast majority of adults in Wales have now completed the primary, two-dose course of the Covid-19 vaccine. In addition, more than 1.8m adults have the added protection of a booster dose or, in the case of immuno-suppressed adults, a third primary dose, providing essential extra protection against the omicron variant.

"As we move beyond the Omicron wave of Covid-19 we will also see a greater opportunity for individuals to return to making decisions based on their own circumstances. On that basis, and because of the vaccination success set out above, we will no longer advise people to only travel overseas if their journey is essential

Stay safe

The advice from the Welsh Government to those going overseas:

• Check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office website for the specific entry requirements for the country you are travelling to – these include Covid-19 vaccines and testing requirements.

• Check the specific requirements for children and young people under 18 in the country you are travelling to.

• Check the coronavirus situation in the country you are travelling to before you travel.

• Stay safe while you are away by following the same measures which help keep you safe while you are at home.

• Check and follow the entry requirements for returning home to the UK – these are available on the Welsh Government website.

• Once you return home, consider taking some extra precautions to keep you, your friends and family safe, including taking a lateral flow test before visiting vulnerable family members; space out visits and social events and if you experience coronavirus symptoms, isolate and take a test.