Flying back to UK

[ChangeAndHelp]

Has anyone flown from Europe back to UK with RyanAir this week?

Do you need a Covid test BEFORE flying?

All government websites say vaccinated and under 18 need passenger form and day 2 test.
Some airlines also state this.

But not RyanAir.

Just want to check what the experience has been because- well, RyanAir.

Thank you in advance. We haven’t been back to see family for 2 years and this trip has already been postponed twice so I’m just panicking I think.

It took long enough to do all forms!

Depends what country. DD came back this week from Europe via Ryanair and needed a proof of negative covid test before being allowed to board. She did hers at the airport - LFT, as she was double vaccinated. Another friend needed to get a PCR test as she was only single vaccinated. She had to go to a test centre in the country. This is in addition to any day 2 tests in the U.K.

You go with the government rules, not Ryanair’s. Depending on which airport you’re flying out of, it might not even be their staff who checks paperwork, but the actual airport’s ground staff instead.

I’ve flown Ryanair a lot these months but not since the rule change. They’ve always been very reasonable and asked for exactly what the government rules stated.

Forgot to say, some countries like Italy or France could demand a negative test for you to enter the airport or board the plane. Again, that’s the country’s rule, not Ryanair’s.

Look at BOTH government's rules. The UK govt can only tell you what they expect of you. The rules are more or less reciprocal but there are some small but important differences.

@EileenGC

Forgot to say, some countries like Italy or France could demand a negative test for you to enter the airport or board the plane. Again, that’s the country’s rule, not Ryanair’s.

Nonsense. I live in France and we have recently flown back to the UK.

You don't need a negative test to go into an airport (but you do need to wear a mask)

If you are double vaccinated then you don't need a negative test to get on a plane (but you do need to wear a mask)

OP, we flew with Ryanair. You need to have completed your passenger location form (including proof that you have paid for your day2 test in the UK) - this is linked to your passport so they already have the information.

You also need to show that you are double vaxxed. No idea what rules apply to the unvaxxed.

@vajingleberry

Maybe that's why @EileenGC said "could". Each country, and indeed each property can apply any rules it wishes. That's why it's important NOT to just look at the UK gov rules, but the other country's rules, and rules for specific places within a country.

Exactly, I used the word ‘could’ because rules change constantly. The French department a great number of friends come from, certainly did ask for a negative test OR proof of vaccination before boarding a long-distance train, plane or similar transport, a couple of months back.

@vajingleberry you’ve said yourself you’ve no idea what happens to the unvaccinated - perhaps the OP has teens who aren’t classed as vaccinated in Europe. So no, it’s not nonsense. It could well be the case, which is why the OP needs to check both countries’ regulations to be sure what she needs to do.

I didn't need a test. Just a day 2.

We left Portugal on Wednesday evening. Only needed to do the Uk government locator and have the day 2 test once in the uk. When we got to the airport they checked our passports. I’m assuming the locator form was linked to the passport as that’s all they needed for us to enter.

@EileenGC

OK - maybe "nonsense" was a bit strong.

OP is flying from Europe to the UK so I am sure she is aware of any particular restrictions (e.g. passe sanitaire) which are in force where she lives.

The rules for flying from France (OP didn't specify where, I can only speak from my own experience) to the UK say that double vaxxed passengers do not need a negative test to fly to the UK. That's it.

There aren't going to be some random and unpublicised "rules" that require people to have a negative test when it is not required. Them's the rules set out on the gouvr.fr site.

Your comment implied otherwise - apologies if I misinterpreted what you meant.

OP doesn't clarify whether she is vaccinated and didn't mention any under 18s, which is why I added the disclaimer about not knowing the rules for them.

As @SapereAude says, of course people need to familiarise themselves with the existing rules for the country that they are actually in rather than just assuming that everywhere is the same as the UK, but you said "some countries like Italy or France could demand a negative test for you to enter the airport or board the plane." I was simply clarifying that, for France at least, this doesn't apply.

Ryanair will allow you to board a plane to the UK as long as you have evidence of being double vaccinated or proof of a negative test (plus your PLF including proof of purchasing day2 tests). There are no "secret" other rules imposed by France.

Thank you all. The problem was that unlike other airlines, Ryan air does not commit to confirming any rules.

However I called them and they said they do “not require any additional requirements beyond the destination country”

Rules for masks apply as per origin country.

:)

Safe travels everyone :)

We came back from Greece last week with RyanAir and our vaccination app was checked as we boarded.
We’d also downloaded all our plf onto our boarding passes so I guess it was checked that way.
Arriving at stansted was another matter as nothing was checked or asked for at all

Update: we’re through!

No Covid test necessary. Just all the forms, although it seems to be inconsistent what they ask for for each passenger.

I’d you’re travelling alone with children - dot. Forget the consent letter!

Glad you made it @ChangeAndHelp! Enjoy the time with your family.