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Original poster

Support thread for those with family abroad

838 replies

Schulte · 20/05/2021 10:12

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?

OP posts:
Original poster
Schulte · 31/05/2021 17:40

Gawd... I really hope they make it easier again!

OP posts:
theadultsaretalking · 31/05/2021 21:18

@Silkiecats

DHs Mum is 88 and alone in France but looking very unlikely he will be able to see her. He and her are fully vaccinated, its more complicated as well as ASD child who goes mute/runs off who is terrified of testing. I was hoping dh could go over alone but with the 10 day quarantine here and 7 day hotel quarantine there and 10 million tests its not really possible with working and a family.
I don't think you need a hotel quarantine there, from what I understood they are taking a rather liberal approach to quarantining for French citizens - for example they are not going to be checking on them.
theadultsaretalking · 31/05/2021 23:45

I am trying to figure out whether I will be able to get to France with my children who have French (and British) passports and I only have the UK one - will they let me in? My husband needs to travel separately before the school holidays start, so I am now trying to understand if the rules don't change will I even be able to get in??

Silkiecats · 01/06/2021 02:03

The Daily Mail has an article on people trying to board Eurostar. One said he had a French boyfriend they initially said no but then said if he had an address in France plus a signed letter with a passport photo of person signing to say he was the boyfriend would let in. So would say you could get in but maybe safer to have some proof with you like your DH's passport copy and marriage certificate though would try and find out, it sounded super strict today.

missmopple · 01/06/2021 11:33

The ferry companies are insisting that French residents have a carte de sejour (residence permit) to enter France.

Brexit caused looooong delays to the process of obtaining a CdS, and many, many people only have evidence of their application/appointment.

Brittany Ferries and DFDS are not accepting this. Regardless of whether you live in France, if you don't have an actual CdS then they won't let you board.

Some people are in the situation that their CdS has been delivered to their French address whilst they were in the UK.

Not sure what is happening re flights/tunnel crossings.

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 01/06/2021 17:02

I seem to remember something similar happening in Spain during one of their earlier lockdowns.

People were refused onto flights because they didn’t have their residency documents which had been sent to their Spanish homes.

theadultsaretalking · 01/06/2021 18:30

But what about citizens, not residents? As in French passport holders residing in another country? I think they are allowed to enter the country regardless, I am just wondering whether I will be able to come with my children, who have French passports, while I only have the British one (and yep, I know I should have applied by now...)

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 01/06/2021 18:53

It does say citizens, or spouses/partners and children of citizens on the link I posted a bit further upthread. I don’t know what, if anything travel companies would require as proof though. It might be a case of checking with individual companies.

GeorgeAnneAndTimmytoo · 01/06/2021 19:39

Found my tribe … sorry we are all here.

Am in an amber EU Country
Elderly parents in England
Sister and her family in Oz (including baby born in 2020).
Brother in the USA
Son at UK uni.

So hard.

Have decided to travel to UK in late June - quarantine in an air b n b and once free spend 10 days with parents. Is going to cost a fortune and will wipe out budget of a real holiday but like you all I guess am desperate to go.

All are fully vaccinated as well which makes the ridiculous cost of Tests an even harder pill to swallow.

Mowly75 · 01/06/2021 21:09

Don’t give up hope, everyone out there. My father is currently in the airport in Washington DC and all being well will arrive tomorrow morning in the UK for two weeks, paid through the nose for all his covid tests etc and was very stressful admin, but it is possible! If I still can’t go to USA with my DD later this summer to see my mom and siblings then we might be able to meet in Mexico, or maybe they’ll be able to all come here. It’s so hard but there’s hope.

Original poster
Schulte · 01/06/2021 21:23

Oh yay @Mowly75, enjoy the time with your dad! Everyone else... let’s hang in there...

OP posts:
LivinLaVidaLoki · 02/06/2021 06:58

Im trying so hard to hang in there but the speculation into who's to be added to the green list has now begun, with the balearics and canaries expected to be added......but no mention of any Greek Islands. Now if Spanish islands can be considered separately then why not Greek? Considering their priority vaccinating the Islands and many islands having had zero cases for some time now.....
Looks like turning off the news for another week for me.

YoutubeZoom · 02/06/2021 08:08

Good luck @Mowly75.

This is the only article we need to read and believe:

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/31/eu-plans-to-lift-covid-quarantine-rules-for-vaccinated-from-1-july?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

QuimReaper · 02/06/2021 11:48

I have friends who have come over from Germany to visit family in England, have already done their quarantine here and now face quarantine back in Germany as well! At the time that they introduced it the general consensus was that they'd lift it in a couple of weeks, I do hope so.

TurquoiseDress · 02/06/2021 21:24

DH family live abroad on an EU country on the amber list

We've booked flights/holiday for end of July but no idea whether we'll actually be able to go!

or else we go & have to quarantine for ?7/10 days during the hottest part of the year & won't be able to travel to the seaside for cooler weather

We've also booked to stay with DH's sister & her family just after we arrive, it'll be in a resort though and we need to pay the balance on the accommodation in a few weeks. I'm reluctant to pay until we know we can go...

Not really sure what to think about how things will pan out Sad

EasterIssland · 03/06/2021 09:19

Labour is asking for the amber list to be scrapped and to move all the amber countries to red. Hope BoJo doesn't listen

Glitterazzi · 03/06/2021 09:36

@EasterIssland I really hope not. I doubt it, it's and absurd plan anyway!

YoutubeZoom · 03/06/2021 10:46

The amber list is a bit pointless, as Marina Hyde called it "a dare". But adding it to red?! Where do.they get these stupid ideas from 😟

newstart1234 · 03/06/2021 12:49

I’m so frustrated and down about this. I’m frankly confused wrt to point in both testIng and quarantine, why both?? Here in dk the quarentine is 10 days or 4 if you get a (free) negative test result. it seems absurd that we are able (within the Eu) to go around and about wherever for a holiday from the start of July using the corona pass but to get onto gb have to jump through all the extra hoops to make significant and essential journeys. Quite aside from all those who work in the travel industry.

QuimReaper · 03/06/2021 13:23

newstart in the UK you can be released on day 5 with a negative test, but as you said, you do have to pay, which is a bugger.

I was quite hopeful for you @LivinLaVidaLoki for the Greek islands today Sad As you say it seems really stupid not to add them. I think everyone is on 'pause' to see what happens with the Indian Variant in the next fortnight, as they don't want to allow things then have to ban them again, it's too embarrassing. I just hope numbers hold firm. I don't see how another wave can take hold with over 70% of the adult population having had at least one dose.

LivinLaVidaLoki · 03/06/2021 13:26

I just saw a headline on my BBC news app that said no countries will be added to Green list today.

I found it odd that its only reported on the BBC as "the BBC understands....." following Matt Hancock suggesting we exercise caution.

There isnt anything in the comment to suggest that no other countries will be added and literally no other news network is picking up on it. Seems really very odd.

Waiting for announcements is bad enough but the constant drip drip drip of speculation is beyond frustrating. Especially given the rampant speculation about countries being added the last few days.

If that does happen and Portugal goes Amber then TBH I suspect the whole thing is just bollocks political posturing, The EU have added us to their no travel list so we do the same to them.

All these people bleating on about waiting a bit longer.....how much longer do you think the aviation industry will last to enable them to go away when they feel ready.

newstart1234 · 03/06/2021 13:43

I think Portugal will go amber. Isn’t Portugal currently holding the leadership position in the Eu council? Maybe that had something to do with the green list place. The cases are no lower than Finland or Denmark (When you take into consideration the number of tests done) it doesn’t make sense from the data so it must be political. Because the summer holidays are in August in the UK I think that’s when Europe will go green. Another thing I don’t understand about the UK at this point is that why isn’t there pressure on the politicians to get travel moving again, Like there was for pubs? Safe travel must be possible, the Eu have come up with a decent plan on this, I don’t know why there is no pressure for the UK to join it from the British population 🤷🏼‍♀️

newstart1234 · 03/06/2021 13:48

I mean of course most school holidays in the UK are in August, not all obvs.

LivinLaVidaLoki · 03/06/2021 13:54

Thats what I cant get my head round@newstart1234 Where is the pressure to do this? We could go away last year relatively hassle free and we are in a much better position now.

The data shows that several countries should be green so wtaf is going on. It has to be political posturing.

Its also annoying that there will be no real questioning of it tonight by the press as the govt just hide every decision behind "we are being cautious.....public safety....variants......" rather than show that its a combination of political willy waving and pandering to the chronically scared.

Frezia · 03/06/2021 13:59

Checking in. Thank you for this thread. My family is in an amber country with cases dropping rapidly and vaccination rates going up fast. All of my family has been fully vaccinated. I'm 22 weeks pregnant and if I don't get to see them this summer I don't know when I'll next be able to travel.
I'm devastated, I haven't seen them in so long. My little boy misses them so much. I'd love for my mum to at least be able to come visit - she had two doses of vaccine and recovered from COVID all in the last 3 months - but if she has to self isolate for 10 days it might be impossible.

I can't understand how we can have the highest vaccination rates in Europe yet be the only country without any plans for COVID passports. Instead of the stupid traffic lights that make no sense.