If you are traveling to the UK from a red list country, you will have to go through a mandatory hotel quarantine. However, most travelers don’t have a clear understanding of hotel quarantine. As a result, there is usually considerable confusion around this area. We, therefore, thought it worth writing a brief article about the quarantine process to bring some clarity to our readers.
Why do you have to quarantine at a hotel?
If you are coming to the UK from a country where the COVID rates are high or the Covid variants of concerns you will have to go through the hotel quarantine process. This rule was implemented with the objective of protecting the UK from new COVID variants. In the meantime, vaccines are given to people in the UK, but not all people are vaccinated. Hence, it is important to take appropriate measures to control the spread of the virus. This is why you can see a mandatory hotel quarantine process implemented in the UK.
As of now, people who have British citizenship will only be able to travel to the UK from a red list country. You will have to stay at a government-approved hotel. During your stay at the hotel, you should go through PCR tests on the second and eighth days. This is pretty much similar to the hotel quarantine process that you can discover in Australia as of now. It seems like the United Kingdom has started following the same process because of its effectiveness.
How much do you have to spend on hotel quarantine?
As of writing this article, you will have to pay an amount of £2,285 for the hotel quarantine. This could change at any point. This includes all your expenses during the 10 days and 11 nights that you stay at the hotel. This cost covers transfer from the airport, food, and testing expenses. If you don’t adhere to this process, you will be fined. For example, if you fail to take the first PCR test, you will be subjected to a fine of £1,000, whereas you will have to pay a fine of £2,000 upon failing to do the second test. Along with that, your period of stay in the hotel will also be extended.
How long do you have to stay in a hotel?
If you are coming from a red list country, you will have to stay at a hotel for a duration of 10 days or 11 nights. However, if you test positive, you will have to take the PCR test once every five days. You will be allowed to go home only if the test proves that you are not infected with the virus.
Can I pick any hotel to quarantine?
No, you will not be allowed to select any hotel for quarantine. That’s because you will need to quarantine at one of the government-approved hotels. The government-approved hotels are located near the major international airports of the country, which include Heathrow airport, London City airport, Gatwick airport, Farnborough airport, and Birmingham airport. If you were planning to enter the country through another airport, you will need to amend your travel plans and enter the country through one of these airports. It’s best to speak to a travel agent or visit the UK government website. That’s because other airports are not accepting any Passengers who come from red list countries.
What else do you want?
Apart from hotel quarantine, you should take a PCR test within 3 days of arrival and have the report with you. You can do this by obtaining a fit to fly covid test certificate the fit to fly certificate indicates that you are not infected by the virus, you can go to a hotel for quarantine. You will also need to complete a passenger locator form.