To ask for help with travel rules to Canaries?

[LoulaJ]

We have booked a holiday to Lanzarote in August. I am getting myself tied in knots and have gone down a number of rabbit holes trying to research the covid travel rules. Can anyone help, please?

My specific questions if anyone can answer them (I'd be very grateful!) are:

1. My teenage child is unvaccinated through their own choice. From what I can make out I will need to pay for them to do either an antigen or PCR test prior to departure. PCR is more expensive than antigen - will either do? I'd obviously prefer to pay the cheaper option for antigen if possible!

1. There is an option to do the fit to fly Covid test as a "drive through" at the airport we are flying from. Is this advisable? Has anyone done it at the airport? Feels all a bit too last minute for my liking, but equally I'm aware the test needs to be recent (within 72hrs) therefore might make sense to do this, especially since we are flying from an airport that requires us to travel the day prior from another area of the country so it would be more convenient to just do it at the airport same day.

1. Will teenage child need to do another PCR / antigen test before we leave Lanzarote to come home to the U.K.?

1. Partner and I are double vaccinated (no boosters as yet). Partner's second dose will be more than 270 days ago at the time of departure therefore he needs to have a booster between now and then as proof of vaccination. My second dose will be 259 days ago on the day of departure and 266 days on our return to the U.K. - so just scraping within the 270 day timeframe. Will I be OK or is this cutting it a bit close? Is a booster advisable for me, too?

1. My understanding is that partner and I can just use the NHS app on our phones and use this at the relevant check points in the airport(s) to show our vaccination status - is this correct or will we also need printed paper copies? Similarly, will my teen be able to show proof of their (hopefully negative!) PCR digitally on their phone (presumably email?), or will a paper version of the test be required?

Sorry that was long winded! Any help very much appreciated as I'm getting myself tied in knots!

Thank you.

I wouldn't book anything yet, things keep changing.

At the moment, you need a PCR within 72 hours or an antigen within 24 hours. You can get walk through antigens at some airports, but that might have changed by August.

No, they don't need one to come home

Your partner will need a booster or a PCR/antigen test. You won't.
Electronic copies are fine, but I print everything out too, in case there is an issue with a phones.

We are going in July and in answer to question 5 you can show the NHS app but we are also taking printed copies of our covid status in case the app or our phones fail!

Thank you both!

I just wondered with my second jab being so close to the timeframe if it was a bit risky, but hopefully not as I'm still 4 days within the 270 days on the day we fly back.

Thank you for clarifying the difference in timeframes between antigen and PCRs too. I think our best bet for teen would be PCR done 2 days prior to flying out, as we are travelling most of the day on the day prior!