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LATEST: Will travellers to England from France who have one or mixed Covid vaccines still face quarantine?

The UK has finally eased its Covid-19 travel rules - but will those vaccinated in the EU with mixed doses or who had just one dose after recovering from the illness still face quarantine? The UK government's rules are shrouded in confusion.

Published: 20 September 2021 13:37 CEST
Updated: 21 September 2021 15:19 CEST
LATEST: Will travellers to England from France who have one or mixed Covid vaccines still face quarantine?
Mixed dose vaccines have created travel headaches. Photo: Alain Jocard/AFP

This story has been updated, please click HERE for the latest version.

The UK government announced its relaxed Covid travel rules on Friday with the main change being that vaccinated travellers from Europe to England would no longer need to take pre-departure tests, and can use cheaper lateral flow (antigen) tests for their ‘Day 2’ test after arriving.

Unvaccinated travellers from the EU would still need to quarantine for 10 days, take a pre-departure test as well as PCR tests on day 2 and day 8 after arrival.

The changes come into force from October 4th.

READ ALSO: Travellers from Europe to England face fewer Covid tests as UK eases border rules

However while the announcement spelled good news for most travellers, questions remain for two groups who have been vaccinated in France – those who had a mixed dose (eg one dose of AstraZeneca and one of Pfizer) and those who had just a single vaccine dose after having recovered from Covid, as is standard policy in France.

The UK’s Department of Health and Social care confirmed to The Local that there was no change in policy or relaxation of rules regarding those who had received mixed vaccine doses in the EU.

However later the British Embassy in Paris and the Embassy in Germany contradicted this, saying that mixed doses would be accepted once the UK rules change on October 4th.

The Norwegian health minister Bent Høie also announced on Tuesday that the UK’s new regime would allow mixed dose vaccines.

The Local is urgently seeking clarification on this matter from the Departments of Health and Transport in London.

This affects

  • Anyone vaccinated outside the UK who had two different vaccine doses eg AstraZeneca and Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna or Pfizer and Moderna
  • Anyone who has previously had Covid and then had a single dose of either AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna. This is considered ‘fully vaccinated’ in France and several other European countries

For more details of the UK rules, click here.

In several European countries including France, mixing of vaccines has been quite widespread, particularly for those who had a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine before guidelines on its use in individual countries changed.

Many countries (including the UK) now advise not using AstraZeneca for younger people after concerns over the risk of rare blood clots. Younger people who already had AstraZeneca for their first dose were advised by many countries’ health regulators to take Pfizer or Moderna for their second dose.

France’s health minister Olivier Véran is among those who had a dose of AstraZeneca followed by a dose of Moderna.

There is no credible medical evidence that individuals who had two different brands of Covid vaccine are less protected against the virus, in fact some studies have suggested better protection from mixing and matching doses.

These rules at present affect only arrivals in England, the devolved nations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have so far not indicated a change to their definitions.

We will update this article as soon as we receive more information.

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EU

How would a ‘youth mobility scheme’ between the UK and EU really work?

The EU and the UK could enter into a 'youth mobility' scheme allowing young people to move countries to work, study and live. Here's what we know about the proposal.

Published: 18 April 2024 17:09 CEST
How would a 'youth mobility scheme' between the UK and EU really work?

Across the 27 countries of the EU, people of all ages can move countries to work, study, spend a long visit or chase the possibility of love – and all this is possible thanks to EU freedom of movement.

That freedom no longer extends to the UK. As a result of Brexit, a UK national who wants to move to an EU country, or an EU citizen who wants to move to the UK, will need a visa in order to do so.

However, a new ‘mobility scheme’ could re-create some elements of freedom of movement, if the EU and UK can come to an agreement.

The European Commission on Thursday announced proposals for a ‘youth mobility scheme’.

Who would benefit?

First things first, it’s only for the youngsters, older people will have to continue with the time-consuming and often expensive process of getting a visa for study, work or visiting.

The Commission’s proposal is for a scheme that covers people aged 18 to 30. 

Their reasoning is: “The withdrawal of the UK from the EU has resulted in decreased mobility between the EU and the UK. This situation has particularly affected the opportunities for young people to experience life on the other side of the Channel and to benefit from youth, cultural, educational, research and training exchanges.

“The proposal seeks to address in an innovative way the main barriers to mobility for young people experienced today and create a right for young people to travel from the EU to the UK and vice-versa more easily and for a longer period of time.”

How would it work?

We’re still at an early stage, but the proposal is to allow extended stays – for young people to be able to spend up to four years in the EU or UK – under a special type of visa or residency permit. It does not, therefore, replicate the paperwork-free travel of the pre-Brexit era.

The Commission states that travel should not be ‘purpose bound’ to allow young people to undertake a variety of activities while they are abroad.

Under the visa system, people must travel to a country for a specific purpose which has been arranged before they leave – ie in order to study they need a student visa which requires proof of enrolment on a course, or if they intend to work they need a working visa which often requires sponsorship from an employer.

The proposal would allow young people to spend their time in a variety of ways – perhaps some time working, a period of study and then some time travelling or just relaxing.

It would also not be subject to national or Bloc-wide quotas.

It seems that some kind of visa or residency permit would still be required – but it would be issued for up to four years and could be used for a variety of activities.

Fees for this should not be “excessive” – and the UK’s health surcharge would not apply to people travelling under this scheme.

Are there conditions?

Other than the age qualification, the proposal is that young people would have to meet other criteria, including having comprehensive health insurance, plus financial criteria to ensure that they will be able to support themselves while abroad.

The visa/residency permit could be rejected on the ground of threats to public policy, public security or public health.

Will this happen soon?

Slow down – what’s happened today is that the European Commission has made a recommendation to open negotiations.

This now needs to be discussed in the Council of Europe.

If the Council agrees then, and only then, will the EU open negotiations with the UK on the subject. The scheme could then only become a reality if the EU and UK come to an agreement on the terms of the scheme, and then refine the fine details.

Basically we’re talking years if it happens at all, and there’s plenty of steps along the way that could derail the whole process.

Don’t start packing just yet.

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