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How to book that ‘cheaper’ Day 2 Covid-19 test if you’re travelling from Italy to the UK

The UK government has published its list of 'cheaper Covid travel tests' for arrivals into the UK from countries including Italy, but don't get too excited.

Published: 22 October 2021 13:00 CEST
Travellers at a UK airport.
Travellers still need to take a day 2 test when arriving in the UK from Italy.(Photo by Niklas HALLE'N / AFP)

The UK changed its much-criticised Covid border rules on Monday October 4th.

Since then, fully vaccinated arrivals from Italy no longer need to quarantine, provided they meet the UK government’s definition of vaccinated (more on that below). 

And from October 4th vaccinated travellers no longer need a pre-departure Covid test either.

READ ALSO: What changes in October if you’re travelling between Italy and the UK

Travellers do, however, still need ‘Day 2’ tests on arrival – but from October 24th these can be antigen tests (known in the UK as lateral flow tests) rather than PCR tests, with the new tests on sale from Friday, October 22nd.

Travellers have been complaining for months about the extortionate prices and terrible service afforded by the Day 2 testing system, and the switch to lateral flow tests should make these cheaper – in theory.

You do still, however, have to use a test provider from the list of approved government suppliers and the test must be booked and paid for before you leave Italy.

While broadly similar, Covid-19 travel, quarantine and testing rules are slightly different if you’re heading to Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland

What it means

All passengers, including children, have to take a test on or before ‘Day Two’ after their arrival in England.

But – crucially – this Day Two test must be booked before you leave Italy.

The passenger locator form, required for all arrivals into England, cannot be completed without a reference number from a test, booked through one of the UK government’s approved list of suppliers.

Anyone who fails to take this Day Two test could face a fine of up to £2,000.

For fully vaccinated travellers, the Day Two test marks the end of their Covid travel requirements, assuming it comes back negative.

Unvaccinated travellers from Italy, however, must quarantine for 10 full days and take another test on or before Day Eight of their stay.

Travel to UK: Covid recovered plus single dose still not considered ‘fully vaccinated’

Photo: Daniel LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP

When is ‘Day Two’?

It is important to note that for test and quarantine purposes, the day of arrival is counted as Day Zero. The following day is Day One, the day after that Day Two, and so on.

Proof of purchase of the second test must be included on the passenger locator form, which everyone over age 18 must complete and submit within the 48 hours before they travel.

How to book a test

Tests must be booked from a company on the government’s list of test providers in England and Northern Ireland here.

Before October 24th

The test must be a PCR test, but PCR tests in the UK may be carried out at home, or by going to a clinic. Prices vary based on how many tests you require and how quickly you need the results – and many clinics offer a range of packages.

According to the government website, you’ll have a wait of 24 to 36 hours to get your test result.

However social media and the British media are awash with stories of people waiting considerably longer than that, never receiving their results or never receiving the tests in the first place.

After October 24th

From this date, the test can be a rapid-result antigen test, known as a lateral flow test in the UK, which travellers do at home with no need to send the sample to a lab.

However, this must still be booked in advance and from one of the approved government suppliers.

The UK government published its updated list including lateral flow tests on Friday, October 22nd and initially this looked good, with several tests listed at £20 or under.

However when we tried to book one on Friday lunchtime, none of the sites listing tests at or around £20 were actually selling them at that price – some sites said they had no tests available, while others only listed options to purchase the considerably more expensive PCR tests.

It remains unclear whether this will change in the days to come.

The new system should, however, eliminate the problem of long waits for results.

Companies

The world of Day 2 testing is an infuriating one.

You’ll find the companies offer packages depending on the status of the country you are travelling from, in other words green or amber. Even though the tests are the same. Some companies confusingly list products only for “UK vaccinated”.

Some we found appear to have minimum spends so even if you find a cheap test you can’t buy it, while others seem cheap at first – but once you get through the final ordering stage extra charges bump up the total.

You also have to book individually for each passenger who requires a test – so if you’re travelling as a family of four you will have to go through the booking process four times.

All of this can come as a shock to those who live abroad and have become used to the testing process (and prices) in Italy, for example.

Prices vary depending on the region of Italy, but antigen tests usually cost around €20-30 while a molecular (PCR) test is around €50-60.

They can be accessed by simply popping into the local pharmacy or booking online with a medical lab. Find more information about getting tested in Italy here.

Short stays

So, what if you’re staying in the UK for less than two days? You still need the Day 2 test, because the passenger locator form cannot be completed without the booking reference, and you cannot enter England without the form.

So you must pay for a test even if you will no longer be in England when the time comes to use it.

Many travellers also report having to take another test before flying back to Italy from the UK, even if their Day Two test fell within the 48-hour window before their return trip, because UK authorities class Day Two and ‘Fit to Fly’ tests differently.

Fully vaccinated

Also be aware that the UK government’s definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ is not the same as the Italian government’s.

You need to have been vaccinated with a UK approved vaccine – Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson – and be at least 14 days from your final dose.

After much confusion, the UK has finally agreed to recognise as vaccinated people who had a ‘mixed dose’ abroad: eg. one shot of AstraZeneca and one Pfizer.

But while in Italy, people who previously had Covid are counted as fully vaccinated after a single dose of the vaccine, this is not the case in the UK.

Photo: Miguel MEDINA/AFP

Q&A: Answers to your questions about Italy’s travel rules

Those who don’t show both documents are subject to a five-day quarantine with the requirement to take a test at the end of this period.

However, tests are easily accessed and booked (the local health authority will often arrange the post-isolation test for you, though it’s at your expense) and there are no reports of the sort of widespread delays and other problems seen in the UK.

Keep up with the latest updates via The Local’s homepage or travel news section.

Member comments

  1. This has changed – you dont require a test now as long as you are fully vaccinated from the UK GOV website below

    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-for-people-travelling-to-england

    Who needs to take a test
    You must take a COVID-19 test before you travel to England if you either:

    do not qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England
    have been in a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days before you will arrive in England
    You do not have to take a COVID-19 test before you travel to England if you qualify as fully vaccinated and you have not been in a red list country.

    Check the Travel to England guidance to find out if you qualify as fully vaccinated

  2. Ive been told that this has changed again – from more recently traveling back to Uk we need a day 2 PCR test and quarantine for 2 days. I just bought the random click and collect for 34.99. I think that’s cheapest option?

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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:30 CEST
EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a soft launch of the new EU border system – the entry/exit (EES) system – on the assumption that it will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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