Travel column with Katie Butler: Recap of Covid travel requirements for travelling abroad from UK

Katie Butler writes: There is speculation that the testing rules may be relaxed as the Omicron variant becomes most dominant in the UK, but of course this is speculation.

We will know more next week.

Last week we saw the re-introduction of the lateral flow/antigen test to be taken two days before departing back to the UK. With this re-introduction we expected an influx of customers wanting to cancel. However, we were surprised that this did not happen in huge volumes and the majority of our customers changed to a later date.

After speaking with all our clients due to depart imminently, the general consensus seems to be that people have waited too long now for a holiday.

They are prepared to do the extra checks to have the holiday they have been looking forward to for so long.

There are of course some barriers for those still wanting to travel, particularly those who do not have a mobile phone or who simply are not very tech savvy. This is a particular problem as many of the test companies require you to video call and then download your test and passport copy.

But all is not lost, most popular holiday destinations have clinics located throughout the resorts where you are able to book your pre-departure tests. Also, many hotels offer the return home test service on site within the hotel.

Then of course there is the Passenger Locater Form which is a Government form that needs to be completed within two days of returning home. Again, this is an online platform. We are receiving lots of feedback from our own customers that there are certain places offering the service to complete the Passenger Locater Form with you present, particularly in destinations such as Tenerife and Benidorm, where at this time of year it is extremely popular with the more mature traveller.

Outbound forms are of course easier and your travel agent may assist you with this or alternatively a family member who has access to a computer and printer.

We hope in the next coming week to also hear more about the NHS Covid Pass for international travel and the rollout of this to include those from the ages of 12-15. It would seem that it could well be added to a parent’s NHS app.

We look forward to receiving further information confirming how this will be rolled out.

Not being able to prove the vaccine in teenagers has been a huge issue when travelling with children of this age group.

Recently Spain banned all unvaccinated passengers including children aged over 12 on a temporary basis.

We are delighted with our Mission Christmas Cash For Kids Toy Appeal.

Our final date for dropping gifts to us will be Tuesday, December 21 and then we will deliver to the Cash For Kids warehouse in Leeds.

Thank you to each and every one of you for your support in this worthy cause. We really are overwhelmed with your kindness.

■ If you have a specific travel question you would like Katie to answer in her column, please email: [email protected]Read more: https://www.batleynews.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/travel-column-with-katie-butler-new-covid-travel-rules-due-to-concerns-over-the-omicron-variant-3486676