British holidaymakers planning on travelling to international destinations are being warned of long queues at airports. This is due to additional checks for vaccination related information in addition to standard border checks.
Travel firms are reporting a sudden rise in bookings for foreign travel after the government approved quarantine-free holidays in 140 countries on the amber-list in ten days’ time.
TRAVEL UPDATE: From MONDAY 19 JULY 4am #British fully vaccinated adults will not need to isolate from amber list countries ???? including those on clinical trials – another step to fully reopening international travel. Children under 18 will not need to self-isolate.
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) July 8, 2021
“So the place to expect queues is the airport you are coming from. Once you get back to the UK all of that is starting to be automated. People should expect more disruption than usual but I know that everyone is working very hard to minimise those queues,” says Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
He added that most of the queuing will be before departure back to England, as airlines check for passenger locator forms, whether holidaymakers have taken a pre-departure test, and booked a post-arrival test.
‘Covid-19 and EU exit adding to delays’
Border staff members say delays will continue until electronic gates are made fully functional everywhere, and that peak queues that are currently up to two hours could increase to six hours.
Covid inspections have to be carried out by UK border staff regardless of airline checks. Credit: Getty
“There still will be queues associated with EU exit, with staff perhaps not being as available particularly if self-isolation figures surge in the way people are suggesting they might do,” says Lucy Moreton, spokesperson of Immigration Services Union.
“But whilst we retain the requirement to check four pieces of documentation for every arriving passenger – the e-gate cannot check the pre-departure test certificate because they’re not uniform, and they can’t at the moment check any vaccination status.”
Double-jabbed foreign travellers could be allowed to skip quarantine
The Transport Secretary confirmed he was looking to do away with quarantine for foreign arrivals by formally accepting their vaccine proof. This move is expected to boost the tourism industry.
People travelling back from amber list countries will be able travel as freely as from green list countries if they have been double-jabbed. Credit: Vangelis Pourikis for City News
“It is more easily done from some places, like the EU where they have a digital app coming along, than it is in the United States where I think they have 50 different systems, one for each state,” he says.
He added that ministers were “actively working” on accepting vaccination certificates from other countries after it emerged only passengers with NHS-issued jabs would be exempt.
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HeadlineHolidaymakers warned of long queues at airports during international travel
Short HeadlineBritish holidaymakers warned of long airport queues
StandfirstRise in bookings for foreign travel recorded as government approves quarantine-free holidays in amber countries from 19 July.
British holidaymakers planning on travelling to international destinations are being warned of long queues at airports. This is due to additional checks for vaccination related information in addition to standard border checks.
Travel firms are reporting a sudden rise in bookings for foreign travel after the government approved quarantine-free holidays in 140 countries on the amber-list in ten days’ time.
TRAVEL UPDATE: From MONDAY 19 JULY 4am #British fully vaccinated adults will not need to isolate from amber list countries ???? including those on clinical trials – another step to fully reopening international travel. Children under 18 will not need to self-isolate.
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) July 8, 2021
“So the place to expect queues is the airport you are coming from. Once you get back to the UK all of that is starting to be automated. People should expect more disruption than usual but I know that everyone is working very hard to minimise those queues,” says Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
He added that most of the queuing will be before departure back to England, as airlines check for passenger locator forms, whether holidaymakers have taken a pre-departure test, and booked a post-arrival test.
‘Covid-19 and EU exit adding to delays’
Border staff members say delays will continue until electronic gates are made fully functional everywhere, and that peak queues that are currently up to two hours could increase to six hours.
Covid inspections have to be carried out by UK border staff regardless of airline checks. Credit: Getty
“There still will be queues associated with EU exit, with staff perhaps not being as available particularly if self-isolation figures surge in the way people are suggesting they might do,” says Lucy Moreton, spokesperson of Immigration Services Union.
“But whilst we retain the requirement to check four pieces of documentation for every arriving passenger – the e-gate cannot check the pre-departure test certificate because they’re not uniform, and they can’t at the moment check any vaccination status.”
Double-jabbed foreign travellers could be allowed to skip quarantine
The Transport Secretary confirmed he was looking to do away with quarantine for foreign arrivals by formally accepting their vaccine proof. This move is expected to boost the tourism industry.
People travelling back from amber list countries will be able travel as freely as from green list countries if they have been double-jabbed. Credit: Vangelis Pourikis for City News
“It is more easily done from some places, like the EU where they have a digital app coming along, than it is in the United States where I think they have 50 different systems, one for each state,” he says.
He added that ministers were “actively working” on accepting vaccination certificates from other countries after it emerged only passengers with NHS-issued jabs would be exempt.
