Traveling from the Chinese mainland to the UK is about to get a little easier for those who have had two doses of a Chinese vaccine.
The UK government announced that as of 4am on Friday, February 11, 2022, those vaccinated with two shots of either Sinopharm or Sinovac vaccines in the Chinese mainland would be recognized as fully vaccinated when traveling to England.
Note: The rules specifically apply to England; other parts of the UK including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may apply different rules
Travelers must show a vaccine certificate which includes the following:
Forename and surname(s)
Date of birth
Vaccine brand and manufacturer
Date of vaccination for every dose
Country or territory of vaccination and or certificate issuer
Screengrab via GOV.UK
You must have had a complete course of one of the vaccines at least 14 days before arriving in England. The day of your final dose doesn’t count as one of those days. You must still complete a passenger locater form (PLF) before you travel. Those who enter England before 4am on Friday, February 11, 2022 must follow the current rules.
Recognition of Chinese vaccines for those entering England from abroad began at 4am on November 22, 2021. However, for those vaccinated in the Chinese mainland, there was no way to prove their vaccination status. This meant that all those vaccinated in the Chinese mainland traveling to the UK were considered unvaccinated.
READ MORE: UK Approves China's COVID-19 Vaccines, But There's a Catch
Note: The rules for entering England mentioned in the above linked article apply before 4am on Friday, February 11, 2022
The latest move has changed that. When traveling to the UK, fully vaccinated passengers no longer have to undergo nucleic acid tests before and after arrival, and no longer have to undergo home or centralized quarantine.
Chinese vaccines are not approved for local inoculations in the UK. However, the UK government, along with countries like Australia and the United States, have accepted said vaccines for the purpose of entering from abroad.
We know what you’re all thinking. This news doesn’t make it any easier to travel home and return to the Chinese mainland, a process UK national Michael Pennington shared his experiences of with That’s.
READ MORE: Your Comprehensive Guide For Traveling Home and Back to China
Note: The rules for entering England mentioned in the above linked article apply before 4am on Friday, February 11, 2022
China’s ‘zero-COVID’ policy means that those entering the Chinese mainland from elsewhere must undergo pre-departure testing, transit testing, testing on arrival and at least 14 days of centralized quarantine.
But the latest announcement is at least another small step on the road back to normality.
[Cover image via Pixabay]
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