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Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations

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big_rig

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Is it the NHS App in particular or has it just been a change in the rules and the NHS app along with others has been caught in a dragnet?
Just the NHS one as it isn’t part of the EU one. To be fair to them it only took a week or so for the same issue for the French one to be resolved.
I recall mention somewhere that you can scan the QR code from the NHS app with the french covid app and it will generate an EU vaccination certificate.
That would be an interesting work-around - I have the French and Swiss apps so will give that a try later on when I have a separate screen to display a picture of the French code on to scan. The official workaround is to register a PDF of the NHS letter with the Swiss canton you want to visit and they’ll authorise it, but that method doesn’t work with a UK phone number! Nothing in life is easy is it :)
 
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Watershed

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I recall mention somewhere that you can scan the QR code from the NHS app with the french covid app and it will generate an EU vaccination certificate.
When I tried that, it generated the certificate but it would not scan, owing to it being digitally signed by the NHS (as opposed to an EU health authority). Perhaps this has been fixed in the meantime.
 

317666

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When I tried that, it generated the certificate but it would not scan, owing to it being digitally signed by the NHS (as opposed to an EU health authority). Perhaps this has been fixed in the meantime.

I just tried doing it, scanning the French-generated QR codes with the German CoronaWarn app, but to no avail.
 

Jamiescott1

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Has anyone on here flown abroad with Ryanair lately? I'm flying to Germany with them next week and have heard various stories of budget airlines making people pay for tests etc. I've got proof of being double-jabbed (which negates the need for any sort of test to enter Germany) and will obviously fill out the passenger locator form before leaving.
Flew with them to Germany in August.
Vaccination status and germsny entry certificate checked on departure from UK.
Negative test and uk entry form checked on departure from Germany.
 

kevin_roche

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Has anyone returned from Chania in Crete recently? I an looking for a recommendation as where I can get tested in Chania before I return to the UK.
 

Bantamzen

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Has anyone returned from Chania in Crete recently? I an looking for a recommendation as where I can get tested in Chania before I return to the UK.
Are you there now? Because if not buy an LFT test you can do unsupervised, many now just need you to take a picture of the result alongside your passport and upload it to them. I did that a few weeks ago in Spain, and had the cert back in under 4 hours.
 

johncrossley

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Are you there now? Because if not buy an LFT test you can do unsupervised, many now just need you to take a picture of the result alongside your passport and upload it to them. I did that a few weeks ago in Spain, and had the cert back in under 4 hours.

My friend had a good experience with c19testing.co.uk which works like that and costs £29. I suspect a lot of people who prefer not doing the test properly use this kind of service. For example if they don't want to risk the inconvenience of a positive test result or if they don't like inserting something in their nostril.
 

317666

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My friend had a good experience with c19testing.co.uk which works like that and costs £29. I suspect a lot of people who prefer not doing the test properly use this kind of service. For example if they don't want to risk the inconvenience of a positive test result or if they don't like inserting something in their nostril.

I ordered one from them the other evening and it arrived the next day. For my PCR test I went for a self-administered one from Dante Labs which was £48, again it arrived promptly.
 

kristiang85

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Has anybody here been to Switzerland recently? I'm hearing that whilst the border accepts the NHS vaccine QR code, the restaurants/trains/venues/etc. do not (in their vaccine passport system).

Can anybody confirm if it has been a problem or not?
 

317666

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Has anybody here been to Switzerland recently? I'm hearing that whilst the border accepts the NHS vaccine QR code, the restaurants/trains/venues/etc. do not (in their vaccine passport system).

Can anybody confirm if it has been a problem or not?

I haven't been but apparently this has changed in the last few days.

According to the TripAdvisor forum it's possible to apply for a Swiss Covid Pass to use as a visitor to the country though, you have to register with whichever canton you're staying in (or the first you're staying in if you're travelling around).
 

johncrossley

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I haven't been but apparently this has changed in the last few days.

According to the TripAdvisor forum it's possible to apply for a Swiss Covid Pass to use as a visitor to the country though, you have to register with whichever canton you're staying in (or the first you're staying in if you're travelling around).

www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/switzerland-third-country-vaccination-passports-not-recognized-for-entering-restaurants-travellers-will-have-to-test-every-3-days

Starting from Monday, September 13, it will become mandatory for every person in Switzerland to hold a COVID-19 passport in order for the same to be able to attend indoor areas, as restaurants, cafeterias and more.

The requirement of such a document also extends to tourists visiting the country for whatever purpose. However, if they have been vaccinated in countries outside of the European Union and the European Economic Area, their vaccination certificates will not be accepted. Instead, these travellers will have to test for COVID-19 every three days.

The issue has been raised by Switzerland Tourism (ST), which is the national marketing organization promoting Switzerland worldwide as an attractive and diverse travel destination. According to ST, travellers from other countries will need a COVID-19 certificate even to enter the restaurant area of their hotel.

For meals in a (hotel) restaurant, guests from third countries who have been vaccinated and who have legally entered the country with a vaccination certificate must be tested every three days,” the organization says regarding the move of the Swiss authorities

It also notes that guests from the United Kingdom, North America, Brazil, Southeast Asia and the Gulf States will be particularly confronted with this problem, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

The industry is affected to different degrees depending on the tourism region and service provider,” it also notes while assuring travellers that it – Switzerland Tourism (ST) – is working hard towards an immediate solution in this regard.

Currently, travellers in Switzerland are eligible to take rapid COVID-19 tests for free, however, only until September 30.

On September 9, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that upon a decision of the Swiss Federal Council, from September 13, the requirement of a COVID-19 certificate would apply to all persons over the age of 16, who wish to access indoor areas, including restaurants, cultural and leisure facilities, and several other areas.

The measure is set to remain in place until January 24, 2022, and those who fail to comply with it risk a fine of €92 (CHF 100).
 

kristiang85

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Yes, this is what I was made aware of.

Looks like the Brexit fallout making my life difficult again. Hopefully the solution for UK people will be found by late October (although I'm perfectly happy to take my spending money to another country if not, but I've got friends I'd like to see so I'll give the Swiss a chance).
 

danm14

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I recall mention somewhere that you can scan the QR code from the NHS app with the french covid app and it will generate an EU vaccination certificate.
Doing this doesn't "generate an EU vaccination certificate". It's effectively photoshopping your UK QR code and personal details onto an EU vaccination certificate. It's the same QR code (and even if it looks different, the underlying data encoded in it is identical).

It's a useful trick where someone is liable refuse to accept or scan an NHS vaccination certificate simply because it looks different - but it won't make it scan as valid anywhere it won't already.
 

adc82140

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Back from France yesterday. I had a great time, and my house is still standing. Filling in the passenger locator form is a pain in the backside, and the lateral flow test before departure was a chore, but fairly straightforward. Progress through immigration at Eurotunnel was quicker than I ever remember it before, and they checked precisely zero paperwork.
 

Butts

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Rumours circulating that PCR Tests for returning vaccinated Brits are set to be dropped in the latest review today.

Hope this is true :E
 

johncrossley

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Watershed

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Rumours circulating that PCR Tests for returning vaccinated Brits are set to be dropped in the latest review today.

Hope this is true :E
...but are replaced with day 2 lateral flow tests AIUI, which aren't all that much cheaper, just a bit less inconvenient (because there's nothing to send in the post).
 

Bantamzen

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...but are replaced with day 2 lateral flow tests AIUI, which aren't all that much cheaper, just a bit less inconvenient (because there's nothing to send in the post).
When I came back from Spain the "fit to fly" LFTs cost £25 each, with the PCRs costing £55, resulting in a total cost of £80 each. If the move is to one LFT test, then that's a considerable saving.
 

Bantamzen

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It is, though I'd prefer 'no tests required' or 'you can use the NHS tests instead of paying Boris' mates'. Zero cost is what I would call a considerable saving.
I agree, but its going to be baby steps with this government. Hopefully this is simply a move towards killing them off altogether.

As an aside, when I returned my PCR test it took them nearly 5 days to provide the result. There was no other contact from them, nor from T&T or anyone else. The LFT test that I did in Spain however had my cert ready in a couple of hours after uploading the photo of the test! Quite clearly the system is broken, which is probably a driver for this upcoming decision.

Edit: Oh and every single test I took, including the NHS ones I used as a pre-test were all made in China!
 

island

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England updates: From 4 October the amber and green lists will be abolished, leaving just the red list and the “everything else”.

Fully vaccinated passengers will no longer need to take a pre-departure test before their trips back to England, and from later in the month can use a (paid for) lateral flow test for their day 2 test rather than a PCR.

However, unvaccinated passengers will still need pre-departure tests, will have to quarantine and will need to take day 2 and 8 PCR tests when arriving from outside the common travel area.

Turkey, the Maldives, and Pakistan will move from red to amber from Wednesday.

source: live Rolling news channels
 
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joncombe

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But you still have to pay for a test. It's basically a travel tax at this point.

I mean the Government hands out "free" tests like smarties for everything else, encourages everyone to take 2 a week but if you've had the audacity to leave the country well then you have to pay for it yourself.

Will this apply to tourists arriving here on holiday? It will be even worse if it's just British citizens that have to pay!
 

island

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Will this apply to tourists arriving here on holiday? It will be even worse if it's just British citizens that have to pay!
The details are still emerging, but it is expected that the rules will apply to anyone arriving in England.
 

joncombe

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The details are still emerging, but it is expected that the rules will apply to anyone arriving in England.
Which also seems nonsense. An infected tourist arrives, have no restrictions for 2 days and only then has to take a test. What is the point?
 

WestRiding

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Brilliant news!


Ministers today announced they are replacing the current international travel traffic light scheme with a simplified go and no-go system as they also scrapped pre-departure tests for the fully-vaccinated. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that from October 4 the current approach of green, amber and red will be ditched in favour of a single red list of banned countries and a 'rest of the world' category for everywhere else. Meanwhile, people who are double-jabbed will no longer need to take a pre-departure test before arriving into England from a non-red list country. Then from later in October the day two PCR test requirement for returning travellers will be replaced with a cheaper lateral flow test. The Government has also slashed the number of countries on the red list, with eight nations being removed from September 22, including Turkey, Pakistan and the Maldives.
 
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