Please can someone tell me in simple to understand English what is needed by my double vaccinated daughter and 13 year old granddaughter to visit France for a short holiday.
Also where to get a test prior to returning to the UK.
Many thanks
The French Embassy in the UK has published a flowchart that makes things pretty straightforward.
Before returning to the UK you’ll need a test within 72 hours of departure. The antigen test is acceptable and results come through in minutes. They are widely available - many pharmacies conduct them. There’s a government website that helps you find a convenient test site.
Brian
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Alternatively, if, like me, you don’t let computers access your location, you can use the drop-down list of departments as shown on here -
https://www.sante.fr/cf/centres-depistage-covid.html
(Sorry Brian - some of us are list-people rather than graphics people…)
I don’t really understand. To use that site there is no need to allow location access. Simply zoom the map to the area in which you are interested.
The list site is useful but to use it, you have to scroll through a list of possibly hundreds or thousands of test centres to find which is the nearest village/town/city with test centres…
Good flowchart but test within 24 hours, that’s a pain, in fact not sure I can see where you could get that done in the UK.
EDIT: OK, there are centres that do lateral flow, but scattered around, not most pharmacies as in France, not sure about PCR - even if the test turn around is 6 hours it’s getting it to the lab quickly enough which is difficult.
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Indeed. In terms of ease of access, I suspect the Boots antigen test may well be the most readily available for many people.
(edit to add)
Crikey! It’s £59.99!!!
Talk about profiting from others’ misfortune…
(edited again…)
C19Testing post you a test kit which you administer yourself. You photograph the result and submit it to them and they email your certificate within 12 hours. And it’s half the price of the test at Boots.
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No you don’t! At least not in my area - it’s far and away the easiest way to find test centres in Manche - the map is very difficult to use because the centres aren’t listed in the blobs nearest to where they physically are - you have to click on a blob in Brittany to get south Manche…
I see what you mean for other areas though - we are obviously in a departement sparsely populated with test centres!
Just remember to manually select antigen test as the site default is PCR which is more expensive and there are fewer centres carrying them out whereas antigen (lateral flow) are available at more pharmacies.
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Am I reading the information correctly, neg C19 test before leaving France then same on arrival in the UK?!
At the moment, travelling France to UK you need a PCR or antigen test within 72 hours of leaving France to satisfy UK requirements, then the UK requires a PCR test to be taken the day after you arrive in the UK (‘Day 2’). When you submit the Passenger Locator Form before boarding the transport to the UK, you will need to enter a confirmation code to prove that you have ordered a suitable test kit or made a booking.
Note that further tests and/or quarantine may be required if a passenger is unvaccinated - this varies with age.
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Thanks Brian, we don’t have any plans to travel until the autumn/winter, it will probably all change by then 
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I’m fairly sure you are right, @Lily 
I’m not planning on France/UK travel until next year…
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I’m inviting folk to come here… (hopefully next year)… I really have no wish to travel over/under the channel… to whatever lurks on the other side… 
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Antigen test is not accepted.
AFAIU, the day you arrive is day 0.
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Antigen tests are definitely accepted.
That is correct, if you arrive on a Sunday, day 2 is Tuesday.
For a Day 2 test in the UK?
Could you post a link please Billy.
Thanks, Hairbear. I had assumed that the counting would start at ‘1’!
What’s not permitted is a self-administered lateral flow test - you need to get one done somewhere that gives you a certificate.
Saves the arguing about whether arrival at 23:59 counts as day 1.
I’m sure the day 2 test needs to be a PCR test from a provider on the approved list in the UK. The test for entry into the UK can be a LFT as long as it’s not self administered and you get a certificate you can show.
Edit: There are so many issues with testers on the approved list, I’m hoping this may change. Apparently if your day 2 test result doesn’t turn up, you can approach the NHS for a test. If you’re not UK resident though, who knows.
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