 Poster: A snowHead
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I know I am well off piste here but with all the covid issues and many people building up knowledge of the bewildering rules around Europe I thought someone could complete the endless circle I am in trying to find out testing requirements for Belgium from UK by air.
It is fairly clear that if you are arriving from a Red list country then you have to isolate and can only come out after a day 1 PCR test.
The question is, what colour is the UK.
I think its Red because it is a Non European or Shengan zone country that is not on any exception list.
Does anyone know where there is a definitive country colour list or have recently tried to get into Belgium and know the rules?
Reason I ask is cos my daughter is trying to do a weekend in Brussels for her uni course and if I am right she will have a weekend locked in an hotel with the expense of multiple tests. She is triple jabbed.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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cheers chocksaway, it does on the uk side I agree but when you look at links off the Belgium embassy site it does not seem so clear, suppose I / She is just clutching at straws as it does not list UK either way colour wise and it all seems well over the top if what .gov say is correct bearing in mind what you have to do / provide to go into Austria
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Eurostar seems to have the clearest info at the moment (assuming they are right!). As far as I can tell for the under 48 hr business trip next week I need to fill in the passenger locator (done) and get a lateral flow done 36 hrs before getting there.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| davkt wrote: |
| Eurostar seems to have the clearest info at the moment (assuming they are right!). As far as I can tell for the under 48 hr business trip next week I need to fill in the passenger locator (done) and get a lateral flow done 36 hrs before getting there. |
Yes I saw that and she thought ok ill go for less than 48 hours but if you look on the Belgium Embassy links it looks like the 48 hour rule does not apply if you are the Red list which the UK seems to be by default
see third line about less than 48 hours from Red zone county which is what I believe they class the UK as.
I do not live in Belgium
You are not a Belgian resident and you are planning to stay for more than 48 hours in Belgium? The following rules apply when you are in Belgium.
In certain cases you must also fill out the PLF if you stayed abroad for less than 48 hours or are staying in Belgium for less than 48 hours.
Do you come from a very high-risk country or a red country outside the European Union or Schengen area? Then the rules below always apply, even if you stay less than 48 hours in Belgium.
https://www.info-coronavirus.be/en/travels/#NotBelgium
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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From the exemptions page of that Belgian site listing exemptions from testing and quarantine 24 hrs after arrival "48-h rule
People entering Belgium who have been in a red zone for a maximum of 48 hours or who will be in Belgium for a maximum of 48 hours, unless the person has been in a high-risk country (VOC country) during the 14 days prior to arrival in Belgium."
I think the Belgian site is being updated as the guidance has changed in the last week or so since I booked my travel.
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so what you are saying is that as you will be in Belgium for a maximum of 48 hours you are exempt from quarantine or testing and if my daughter made sure she did nor exceed 48 hours she would be ok presuming the UK is not a VOC country?
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That is what I'm reading the advice as and our corporate travel people have said their understanding is. I'll be arriving in Brussels next Wed lunchtime, business meetings Wed PM and all day Thurs to 5pm then leave on the early evening Eurostar.
Our understanding is Belgian PLF filled in at some point in the month before travel, lateral flow no more than 36 hrs before arrival in Brussels and UK PLF filled in no more than 48 hrs before arriving home.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Its not clear if the up to 48 hour rule is for business only or includes leisure trips too, I think what you are saying is correct for your trip up to 48 hours but still not sure for non business, thanks for your contribution.
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I went to Brussels a couple of weeks ago under the 48 hour rule on Eurostar. I don't think you technically needed a LFT prior to travel either - but I did one anyway as St. Pancras is manned by French border officials, and technically you go through France. When I said I was doing a <48 hr trip, they waved me through. The Belgian PLF was asked for, and was also asked for after disembarking at Brussels-Midi.
All restaurants and bars were asking for QR Code, but generally it was very relaxed.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Belgian rules seem to have changed in the last couple of weeks, when I was booking it was clear no LF was needed but when I checked on Monday it was sort of clear it was.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| The_Gate wrote: |
I went to Brussels a couple of weeks ago under the 48 hour rule on Eurostar. I don't think you technically needed a LFT prior to travel either - but I did one anyway as St. Pancras is manned by French border officials, and technically you go through France. When I said I was doing a <48 hr trip, they waved me through. The Belgian PLF was asked for, and was also asked for after disembarking at Brussels-Midi.
All restaurants and bars were asking for QR Code, but generally it was very relaxed. |
Was that a business trip or tourist? I think either is ok but slight question mark over 48 hour rule for tourism.
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I’ve just arrived back from a 3 day business trip to Belgium. LFT, vax pass and Belgian PLF were all checked at airport checkin in London. Only PLF was checked on arrival in Brussels. Vax pass is needed for hotels and restaurants - NHS one works fine. To be honest, I didn’t bother with the day 1 PCR test (was staying over 48 hours) as the last time I went it was a day 1 LFT and no one ever asked for it then and seemed pointless as I’d just done a fit to fly LFT ! Feedback from Belgium colleagues was that it was extremely unlikely anyone would ever follow up on it as it would require an on-site visit to the premises you indicate on your PLF in order to check your result.
To return to UK you just need your UK PLF at check-in and weirdly to board the plane also !
In addition, they can’t differentiate between business or tourism as it’s not asked on the PLF so the whole thing doesn’t make much sense
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You know it makes sense.
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| melandnick wrote: |
I’ve just arrived back from a 3 day business trip to Belgium. LFT, vax pass and Belgian PLF were all checked at airport checkin in London. Only PLF was checked on arrival in Brussels. Vax pass is needed for hotels and restaurants - NHS one works fine. To be honest, I didn’t bother with the day 1 PCR test (was staying over 48 hours) as the last time I went it was a day 1 LFT and no one ever asked for it then and seemed pointless as I’d just done a fit to fly LFT ! Feedback from Belgium colleagues was that it was extremely unlikely anyone would ever follow up on it as it would require an on-site visit to the premises you indicate on your PLF in order to check your result.
To return to UK you just need your UK PLF at check-in and weirdly to board the plane also !
In addition, they can’t differentiate between business or tourism as it’s not asked on the PLF so the whole thing doesn’t make much sense |
excellent thanks for the feedback
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Belgium relaxed its restrictions today. My trip, vaccine cert and PLF were checked at St P and Vaccine cert again getting off the Eurostar in Brussles though for all the attention they were paying pretty sure as long as your phone showed a QR code they would have waved you through, they certainly weren't scanning them. Vaccine cert checked for entry to the meeting I was attending and then coming back Eurostar checked I had a UK PLF. No one showed any interest in if I had done the supposedly mandatory covid.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Yes my daughter travelled yesterday and only thing needed now is to fill in a Passenger locator form and add either proof of vaccine, recovery cert or Lateral flow test. Lots of in country restrictions have also now gone.
Thanks to all contributors.
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