Travelling to the UK: December 2021 update   

Over the past few months, the Australian vaccination rollout out has continued to pick up its pace & we are now move through Phases B & C of the National Plan, with over 75% of Australian’s receiving a double dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.  

The vaccination thresholds being met have led to significant changes in the international travel requirements for Australians departing & arriving in the country, as we take the next steps to reopen to the world.  

Within this blog we’ll provide current updates from the Australian & UK Governments, look at the current steps you can take to start planning your journey over to the United Kingdom & discuss each of the following points:  

  • Vaccination & leaving Australia  
  • United Kingdom: Current situation  
  • Entering the UK 
  • Returning to Australia  
  • anzuk and you 

As international travel requirements can easily & readily change, we highly recommend following the government links provided within this blog for future updates.  

 

Vaccination & leaving Australia  

The ban on overseas travel from Australia has significantly changed from the 1st of November 2021, meaning if you are fully vaccinated you will no longer require a travel exemption.  

Once fully vaccinated we recommend obtaining an International COVID-19 vaccination certificate, which provides proof of your full vaccination in the UK & many other countries. 

If you’re unvaccinated, you’ll still need to apply for a travel exemption to leave Australia.  

 

United Kingdom: Current situation  

The UK Government has removed most social distancing restrictions & opened almost all of society allowing for life to adapt to a new normal.  

Nearly 90% of the adult population have received two Covid-19 vaccine jabs & there is a booster vaccine roll-out currently underway, to further protect the population.  

The NHS Covid Pass is currently in place across England allowing for travel abroad to many European countries, alongside attending local events & venues.  

Currently, schools have remained open since April 2021 & are operating with Covid-19 safe plans & hygiene strategies in place. 

There has been a high caseload of Covid-19 in recent months across the UK & the UK government is closely monitoring the situation:  

UK Government: Coronavirus (COVID‑19) Updates. 

We will provide updates if this could affect travelling to the UK. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team if you have any specific questions relating to your journey.  

 

Entering the UK 

It is possible to enter the UK given the UK government does not currently have its borders closed and Commonwealth citizens can still apply for visas.  

If you are fully vaccinated & travelling to England, you will need to:  

  • Take a COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 2 days before you travel to England
  • Book & pay for an approved Covid-19 test to be taken before the end of your 2nd day in the country and will need to self-isolate until they have a negative result. The change will be brought in “as soon as possible” following agreement with the other UK nations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)

If you are fully vaccinated & travelling to Wales, there are slightly different requirements.

All travellers aged 12 and over, regardless of vaccination status, must have proof of a negative PCR or LFD coronavirus (COVID-19) test to travel to Wales. 

People arriving in Wales who have been in a red list country in the previous 10 days, must follow the rules for arriving from a red list country.

People arriving in Wales, from a country not on the red list, who are fully vaccinated must:

It is important that you research what further requirements may be specific to your journey when entering the UK: 

UK Border Control.  

 

Returning to Australia  

If you decide to or need to return to Australia within the coming months it may still be challenging to do so as there are a large amount Australian residents currently seeking to return to Australia.  For the latest updates please ensure you read through our detailed blog, International Educators – Arriving in Australia

The states & territories across Australia may have different requirements for re-entry into Australia, so we recommend staying updated via:  

Smart Traveller: COVID-19: Re-entry and quarantine measures  

 

anzuk and you  

Need support with your visa?  

anzuk Visa Support Service can assist with your visa application for the UK.  

Please also reach out if you would like support from any of our UK teams. We have offices that cover the following locations:  

  • London  
  • Surrey  
  • Bristol & Southwest England  
  • Wales  
  • Regional United Kingdom 

Want to learn more about moving to the United Kingdom? Or maybe you’d like to hear about local opportunities across Australia or other international geographies we support such as NZ and the USA? 

Check out the following link. We can’t wait to speak with you: https://www.anzuk.education/au/work-abroad/united-kingdom#contact 

 

Sources:  

https://www.australia.gov.au/  

https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/  

https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/  

https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control  

https://www.nhs.uk/