We are now in September 2021, a year and six months since the pandemic has started and countries across Europe are gradually opening their borders and lifting some of the restrictions again. Several vaccination campaigns have been taking place all over the continent and as a result many people are now fully vaccinated, which leads us to think that travelling now is safer, however precautions are never enough.
Recently, we had the chance to travel from London to Abruzzo, and in this post we will share step by step our experience, including all the documentation needed. Therefore vaccination campaigns seem to be quite successful, there are still some restrictions we need to be aware of when travelling abroad, these can vary depending on the destination.
When travelling to Italy, there is no need to quarantine anymore if you are fully vaccinated but, let’s get into details.
Covid-19 test
Before you travel, (this rule is due to change from the 06th of October based on new government announcements), you need to perform a Covid-19 test. It could be a PCR or an antigen test, (antigen is way cheaper compared to the PCR).
On this occasion we performed the test at DAM Health. The process is quite straightforward, you just need to go to the website (services are offered across different cities in England), select the nearest branch and the type of test, and then pay 39£. When you are on site, you will need to show your passport and download an app called Health Passport Worldwide, so you can get your results through the app and download the PDF version and keep it in your phone. In our case, they didn’t ask for the test, neither in London nor in the Abruzzo Airport.
Stansted Airport
Vaccination Certificate
If you are fully vaccinated you will also need to obtain your Vaccination Certificate, which is easily accessible on your NHS app (in order to get you vaccination certificate, you need to be fully verified). Once again, this document wasn’t requested neither in London nor in the Abruzzo Airport.
EU Digital Passenger Locator Form
Another compulsory document is the EU Digital Passenger Locator Form, which is basically a form where you will need to write down all your personal details including your permanent address and the temporary address (where you will stay in Abruzzo). Once filled, you will get an email with a QR code with the option to download the PDF version. This was the only document we needed to show during the trip.
The airplane to Abruzzo was quite empty
Departure
London Stansted now seems to be busier compared to previous weeks. Security checks and boarding were as usual. When boarding, the only documents we needed to show were the boarding pass and the passport.
Arrival to Abruzzo
When we arrive at the airport, first you need to pass the usual custom control. After that, there are basically two procedures you need to follow, and these are.
A) The airport staff will provide you with a form that you need to fill with basic information such as name, country of residence, where are you going to stay in Abruzzo, phone number and if you are fully vaccinated. They also told us that we had the chance to perform a rapid COVID-19 test, (we declined that offer).
B) Then you will need to provide the EU Passenger Locator Form by sending it to a specific email address provided by the staff.
After these 2 procedures we were free to go.
The flight itself and the documentation needed, was simple and stress free. We were expecting more controls in terms of tests and vaccination certificates. There is no need to print any of the documents, all of them can be easily downloaded and kept safe in your phone to show whenever needed.
