Free COVID test invalid for travel?

[heavenon]

Has anyone traveled recently and can let me know? I read that NHS tests aren’t valid for travelling but every council is also offering free COVID tests which aren’t nhs tests. Will these ones be invalid for track or does it depend on the airline?

Has anyone done these free tests from the free COVID testing centres are results emailed to you? How long did they take ?

Are travel certificates (fir for travel certificates) also needed now as I see some private Covid testing centres offering them as well please advise

It’s quiet confusing as things are changing quickly.

I don’t wanna pay £200 for a test when I can get it for free and I also don’t understand how some companies are charging £50 and others charging £300

Do you not have to use a designated testing centre? It may be PCR test you take rather than the less reliable LFT

There's a bbc article today about people being turned away because they haven't used a private test.

The official guidance is here www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-for-people-travelling-to-england#type-of-test

Just scanning that guidance it does explicitly say you need to use a private provider

Where to take your test
You will need to find a private test provider to take a test.
You can choose to take a test:

......

This is because the government needs to capacity for tests for people who need them and shouldn’t have to pay to allow people to go on holiday. The NHS only tests patients and their own staff. The testing centres are government centres and not administered by the NHS.!

We are in a surge area and we used online government postal testing. I think don’t think the surge test results will be suitable either.

You need to check with your travel company.

You have to pay privately because the NHS and government are not there to pay for this for holidays.

Your holiday company / airline should be able to tell you what they require you to present.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989790/covid-private-testing-providers-general-testing-270521.csv/preview need to use one from the list of providers

The councils in my area are offering free PCR tests that’s why I’m asking myself why I should pay if I can get it free of charge and it’s not a NHS test how would the airline know whether it was a free test or not?

You arent allowed to use the free tests
Use the designated private provider like the guidance tells you to use
Nhs isn't there to help fund your holiday

My airline told me all I need was a negative test that’s it they didn’t even care about which type of test

@dementedpixie I’m not going to use the NHS obviously 🙄

And it will be an nhs test the council uses

Even if it’s a council test as you say, someone else is paying for it. Why should other people pay for this so that you can go on holiday.

@Windyone maybe I’ve paid my taxes and councils taxes as well people are getting it done to stay in the country so why not getting it done to leave ? Doesn’t make sense

You're not making sense tbh
You want to go on holiday so you should be payong for a test to get there

You choose to travel then you factor in a test into the cost. Don’t expect it for free

The free tests are not valid for travel.

@heavenon the airlines are not setting the rules the U.K. government are setting the rules for entry to England and they say it must be a private test.

The Government of the country you are travelling to are setting the rules for entry to their country, you will need to check their rules.

Ultimately do what you want to do, but don't complain if you get turned away at the airport and lose your travel costs.

Read the bbc website - they are turning people away who don't have the fit to travel certificate which is only available privately

I can see the “you shouldn’t be taking advantage of free tests for your holiday” argument, but, surely if OP’s local authority is offering PCR tests free to everyone without symptoms - are you in a surge testing area? - then she should be taking that test anyway whether she was travelling or not? So why test twice?

Your choosing to travel, you need to cost in the price of the private PCR test. As you would if you need to self isolate when you return.

Paying for tests is only in the UK. My friend who just came back from the US got a free test done there and that’s in the country where people pay for health insurance and she was allowed in the UK

Will airport staff ask if your test was paid for or not if NHS is not written on it? I don’t think so.

Paris is also offering free COVID test which can be used for travels aswell the Uk is jut trying to prevent people from travelling because it doesn’t make sense

[quote heavenon]@Windyone maybe I’ve paid my taxes and councils taxes as well people are getting it done to stay in the country so why not getting it done to leave ? Doesn’t make sense[/quote]
It absolutely does make sense.

You want to go on holiday, you pay for the test.

Go live there then!

OP.

Danger with this place is random/generic advice (guilty)

As I think you've worked out you really reallyneed to check with the airline...hopefully the'll have specific info on their website.

As for the varying prices - some of it's down to the exact test being done, speed of getting the results, and some of it is market forces...

...and BTW as always some leap straight in with the assumption that air travel=holidays, why should we pay, etc etc ....

That might be true in the OPs case, might not be, but it does all start to get a bit tedious if you're one of the thousands who has been been paying over the months for tests so they can get to work.