People returning or travelling to Scotland from abroad who are fully vaccinated or under the age of 18 will no longer need to take pre-departure COVID tests, or self-isolate on arrival unless they are experiencing COVID symptoms.
Travellers will still need to take a test on or before day 2 after arriving in the UK; however, this may now be through a lateral flow test with photo confirmation rather than a PCR test.
Anyone who tests positive on their lateral flow test will need to isolate and take a free confirmatory PCR test.
In addition, Scottish Ministers have agreed to approve vaccine certificates for a further 16 countries and territories to allow quarantine-free travel to Scotland as of this week. The red list of highest risk countries will remain unchanged with no countries currently on the list.
Kenneth Gibson MSP said:
“Given the rapid spread of Omicron last year it was essential to take immediate steps to protect public health in Scotland, particularly with regards to international travel.
“Now that Omicron has become the dominant strain in Scotland and across the UK, the impact of the restrictions on staff and businesses in the travel and aviation sectors weighs up differently and as such, it is now appropriate to ease some of them.
“I am aware that many people are keen to go on a holiday but if you do, please ensure you take all necessary precautions and follow guidance both in your destination and back home, given that the pandemic and associated regulations remain a moving feast.”
The definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ is set out in Scottish Government guidance under the ‘what fully vaccinated means’ section. The guidance also includes information on planning foreign travel and information on testing for people entering Scotland.
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