The United Kingdom has axed Covid restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers

Trips abroad are about to get much easier for Australians who are fully vaccinated with major changes being rolled out in the coming days. Here’s what to expect.

THE United Kingdom has axed all Covid restrictions for fully vaccinated Australians, who will soon be able to plan British trips without undergoing any tests.

From February 11, passengers who are double vaccinated do not have to have a pre-departure test or a rapid test or PCR when they arrive.

“That means that after months of pre-departure testing, post-arrival testing, self-isolation, additional expense, all that fully vaccinated people will now have to do, when they travel to the UK, is to verify their status via a passenger locator form,” UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.

Australian travellers who aren’t fully vaccinated won’t have to self isolate or take a day eight test, but they will have to provide proof of a negative Covid test taken two days before travel and a PCR test on or before day two.

The travel changes make the UK one of the first western European countries to lift isolation requirements for both vaccinated and unvaccinated.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks with corporal Lorna MacDonald during a visit to a vaccination centre in Northampton, as the UK announces big changes to its entry rules. Picture: AFP

All travellers to the UK still need to fill out a passenger locator form online before they arrive in the country. The form needs to be completed 48 hours before departure and helps authorities with tracking arrivals and their vaccination status, and assist with contact tracing if it is required.

Non vaccinated visitors attach their proof of a negative Covid test to the form, which currently is pages long – but will soon be stripped back to a single page to make it quicker and easier to fill out.

Mr Shapps said red-listed countries – of which there are none currently – could be made to test and isolate in the future if a variant worse than Omicron emerges.

Fully vaccinated Australians will soon be allowed into the UK without any Covid tests. Picture: Hollie Adams, Getty Images.

The UK move come as the US added 22 new countries – including Australia – to its “very high risk” category and urged citizens to “avoid travel” here.

Europe too downgraded Australia’s safety rating, potentially making it harder for Aussies to travel there.

The European Council took Australia off its travel green list, meaning restrictions on non-essential travel can now be made by individual countries – including testing and isolation.

Originally published as The United Kingdom has axed Covid restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers