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What are the new rules for Covid pass holders travelling between Norway and the UK

Frazer Norwell
Frazer Norwell - [email protected]
What are the new rules for Covid pass holders travelling between Norway and the UK
A Norwegian Air Shuttle jet taking off from Oslo Airport. Photo Jan Johansen/Flickr

New travel rules have been introduced for Covid certificate users travelling between Norway and the UK, Here's what you need to know.

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Travel to Norway 

Travel to Norway is restricted to residents, citizens, EU and Norwegian vaccine pass holders and arrivals from "green countries", countries which have low enough infection levels to allow entry into Norway. 

In addition to this, the partners and the close family of residents and citizens from the EU/EEA, the UK and purple list countries can enter Norway

Typically, unvaccinated arrivals or those without a valid EU or Norwegian Covid certificate will be required to quarantine either at home or a hotel, register their entry and test before and after arriving in Norway. 

The quarantine period in Norway is either ten or seven days depending on whether a negative PCR test is returned on day seven. 

Arrivals from green countries and those with vaccine passports aren't obliged to quarantine or test. You can read more about the rules and entry requirements depending on your situation here

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New travel rules for fully jabbed travellers entering the UK

From August 2nd, fully vaccinated travellers from countries in Europe can skip the mandatory 10-day quarantine period when arriving in England, Scotland and Wales from amber list countries like Norway

Travellers will still need to provide a negative test no more than three days before travel and take a PCR test on the second day after arriving. 

All arrivals will also be required to fill out the passenger locator form. Below we'll look at how the new rules affect travel between Norway and the UK. 

Travel from Norway to the UK for vaccine pass holders

Vaccine pass holders, with either the EU, Norwegian or NHS covid certificate, travelling from Norway will need to take a test no earlier than three days before their arrival into the UK. 

The test results must be in English, French or Spanish.

Getting test results in English shouldn't be a problem in Norway if you use a testing service such as Dr.Dropin or Volvat. 

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The best option for non-residents to get tested before travelling to the UK will be to get one done privately. These cost around £100, including the fit to fly certificate. 

You can read more about the specifics for testing here.

Travellers will also be required to fill out a passenger locator form.

Under the new rules, fully vaccinated health pass holders will skip the ten-day quarantine period as Norway is an amber country

They will still need to pre book a PCR test for the second day after arriving in the UK. This will cost upwards of £60.

In the UK, you are only classed as fully vaccinated two weeks after your final jab. 

If you are using the Norwegian Covid certificate as proof of vaccination, you will need to show border police the extended control page, which includes the vaccines you took and the date you received them. 

READ MORE: How you can use Norway’s Covid-19 certificate at the border? 

Furthermore, the UK only accepts EMA approved vaccines. If you have been vaccinated in Norway, this won't be an issue as the country only uses EMA approved serums. 

Travel from the UK to Norway for health certificate holders

Fully vaccinated travellers arriving, or those who have had Covid in the past six months, from the UK with an EU or Norwegian Covid certificate aren't subject to any entry restrictions provided a week has passed since their final shot. 

Those planning on using the NHS app are still subject to entry restrictions and requirements as while the UK is accepting Norwegian vaccine passes, this isn't being reciprocated, for now at least. 

This is because Norway cannot verify the NHS app as proof of vaccination, but talks are underway to get the NHS app accepted by Norwegian authorities, according to the British Embassy in Norway

This means entry from the UK for non-residents and citizens is restricted to close family and partners. 

The British Embassy also said that it doesn't currently have a date for when the NHS app will be accepted. 

Children and stepchildren (regardless of age), parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are classed as close family.

Those without a Norwegian or EU health pass will also need to take a test, either PCR or antigen, 24 hours before arrival.

In addition to this, they will need to register their entry into Norway, test at the border and enter a quarantine hotel for a minimum of three days as the UK is a dark red country under Norway's Covid country classification system

They will be released from the hotels, which cost 500 kroner per night for adults, or 250 for children over 10, after returning a negative PCR test. 

They will then need to quarantine until day seven at the earliest, where the option will be available to take another PCR. Otherwise, the isolation period will end on day ten. 

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