Support thread for those with family abroad

[Schulte]

Anyone interested in a support thread for those of us who have family abroad, and don't know if we can see them this year? I had started to feel all positive and optimistic about going back to my home country this summer to see my parents, but it's now looking far from certain and I'm feeling increasingly depressed.

I thought maybe we can cheer each other up and share the latest on border openings, how and where to get tests for travel, etc.

Anyone?

Oh thanks that’s good to hear about Boots, did the result arrive in time too?

It’s the constantly changing rules everywhere that make planning so difficult, right?

@WolfMother326 great that you and family have a plan! US might be a green country by then?

@YoutubeZoom ah that’s hard... I’m also not sure I want my parents to travel but think they could manage France. Only if it doesn’t involve them having numerous tests though!

@EasterIssland is it the quarantine on return that stops you from going? Sorry, you may have already said... amazed at the reports of people jetting to Spain on holiday today! Doesn’t seem fair if you can’t go

There are no direct flights to where I’m from til the day before I fly. If easyjet cancels the flights then I can look into flying from London. But I can’t cancel as I’d have a voucher which I don’t know I’ll be able to use. Husband and I will be fully vaccinated in July and so my family. so hoping things get better even if it’s only for those fully vaccinated or with pcr

Also I’m currently doing something crucial at work and doubt company would approve my holidays

Results came through by email within 24 hours and an official certificate - just printed out and was accepted by two countries no problem!

Yes the constantly changing rules don’t help, we’ve got plan 1,2,3,4 to cover every eventuality 🙄

@CustardyCreams

I miss my brother and his family, he is overseas and has lost his job and his partner, due to the stress of it all, left him both a result of COVID. But the last thing in the world I want is for borders to open and this disease to keep spreading. For all that we miss each other, at least we are all live - how much more would someone miss a relative who died because COVID spread further because we all rushed back to travelling. I want it to be really safe before borders open, and I think for red list countries it should be a three week quarantine when it does.

At this point my parents are potentially going to die of something else without me ever getting to see them again. We're all fully vaccinated against Covid, so we're incredibly unlikely to be spreading Covid across borders.

Please, let's not go down the 'we need to keep all the borders closed' path, not on this thread at least . I need a respite from that!

On a practical note - thanks for the Boots test advice!

We are in a European amber country and parents and PIL in Uk
Thinking about having a holiday in Portugal and then traveling to Uk so to avoid quarantine. Planning it at the moment.
I just want to see my parents and sisters.
Brother is in Canada. No clue as to when we will see him again.
Hate the control and uncertainty. It’s really frustrating.

Portugal could do a brisk trade on family reunions...

Fabulous idea!

On Saturday we watched the Eurovision Song Contest (sorry about the German entry ) and my mum, brother, nephew, SIL, DD2 and I were all on Telegram while watching, commenting the show and arguing over who should win... it wasn’t quite being in the same room but special nevertheless. Cheered me up for a while.

Thanks @Schulte - I am crossing my fingers that this happens, and also that the US doesn't in turn ban/change rules on travel from Britain. I wonder how likely it is though that the US will be added to the green list...

@theadultsaretalking

Please, let's not go down the 'we need to keep all the borders closed' path, not on this thread at least . I need a respite from that!

On a practical note - thanks for the Boots test advice!

God. Yes please. Everyone in my family is vaccinated.

Interesting developments today... if the newspapers are right, Ireland is scrapping quarantine for visitors from the UK. Spain might move to the green list (although that could be wishful thinking) and has been welcoming travellers from the UK. Meanwhile, Austria is banning direct flights from the UK. Can’t get over the discrepancy in these rules and am very much hoping Germany and Austria have got it all wrong and will backtrack soon!

In my opinion, the uk just need to shut up with their obsession over the Indian variant. It continues to make barely any difference to hospitalisations or deaths and is even having little impact on case numbers despite them surge testing to the hilt desperately trying to find it so they can continue this crap for longer. It’s making other countries nervous for no reason and I’m getting more and more concerned that other countries will soon join Germany and Austria and once again make it near on impossible to see family for yet another summer/year.

I’m so on edge. There are less than two weeks until I might finally see my mum again and I even stupidly told the dc who are bouncing off the walls in excitement, and now countries are starting to get angst about the Indian variant and I’m so worried that something will happen to stop her coming..

I echo all of Lostinaclouds thoughts about it!

I keep thinking about you @QuentininQuarantino and whether your family has made it. Today the Spanish government has said they’re hopeful that the uk will put Spain in green i the next review... im really tempted to take my son with me and my work laptop and fly home. Don’t think work would allow me taking time off atm. My im sure my husband would love to come and see my family and we’re meant to go end of July. , it just feels so far away ...

I agree with you cloud. I keep thinking that Spain needs the British this year , and also they’ve not put Germany / francs in the quarantine list when they were doing so bad few weeks ago ... it takes a bit to Spain to close borders so keep praying that on the 25th of July (or sooner) my son will be able to hug my Nephew

I am keeping all my fingers crossed for all of you!

Just read government will consider to green those islands that are doing better than mainland (canary / baleares or Greece) few days Ago I told my dad he should pay for a hotel for all of us in Lanzarote... might need to ask him again :)

There was a petition a while ago to allow travel to see family abroad. It has now been discussed in parliament. I got a link to the transcript if anyone is interested:

hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-05-24/debates/21052445000001/Covid-19InternationalTravel

Anyone visiting family in Spain ? Seems like British people might need a carta de invitación.
The word is could , so do I make my parents do all the paper work?
Also with the current situation with COVID I’ve no clue whether I’ll fly the days I’ve the flights for :(
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2021/05/21/spains-carta-de-invitacion-could-apply-to-brit-tourists-as-embassy-announces-official-word/amp/

I think @EasterIssland if you have a Spanish passport you’d be okay.

My family own property here so that’s okay too, but my in laws plan to get a booking on booking. Com, print the confirmation and then cancel it. A friend has been trying to get a tie appointment at the oficina de extranjeros since November so I don’t think the bureaucracy is ready for a carta de invitación!

@Schulte thank you for the link it was very interesting. Devastating that 18 people lost their long distance partners to suicide in that time. Frustrating how they all agree on the debate and then resolve to do sod all about it. And interesting that one in three children in the uk has a parent born abroad - and there must be many more where they’ve just emigrated or another foreign familial connection. It should be essential reading for all the little Brits who parrot “well being separated by a global pandemic is a choice you made when you decided to move abroad” line.

France now confirmed it will impose quarantine too. I’m descending into a very dark place

@Schulte

France now confirmed it will impose quarantine too. I’m descending into a very dark place

I shall meet you there and then we will slowly climb back up, but for now you will find me somewhere between pissed off and desperate...

Sorry to hear that. Hope they soon remove it

Thank you @theadultsaretalking. It’s good to know I’m not on my own.

I’m also in France and utterly fed up tonight. Just had what feels like the 30th meltdown on my DH. We had so many plans for friends and family for this summer and now it all hangs in the balance once more.

The Indian variant is not causing any problem in the U.K, it doesn’t evade the vaccine, 40 million people in the U.K. have been vaccinated, France has vaccinations open to all over 18’s and we’ve had at least 18 months of picking up natural immunity and learning new ways to treat more serious covid cases. So what’s the problem anymore? I wish people would just stop putting up with all this. Imagine if we all just stopped getting tested, all they could rely on then is the nearly non existent hospitalisations and deaths. So angry and despondent tonight. When will this utter hell end?