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The complete guide to booking a family holiday

half term holiday family travel restrictions rules covid passports vaccinations - Getty
half term holiday family travel restrictions rules covid passports vaccinations - Getty

Fully vaccinated adults and under-18s can now return to the UK without tests or self-isolation, removing much of the hassle of a family break.

Perhaps you’re tempted by a week by the pool in Mexico, a jaunt to South Africa or a US road trip – all are among the possibilities now that the world is opening up.

Yet post-Covid travel can still throw up complex rules and unexpected snags, particularly if this will be your first trip overseas since the pandemic. To ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience, it helps to have a checklist in place.

From the ever-vital steps (reviewing the validity of your passport) to fresh hurdles (carrying a supply of FFP2 masks, which may be required in certain countries), here's how to ensure a stress-free break.

Check all passports are up-to-date

This may be an obvious step, but if it’s your first time travelling in a while it could be easy to forget. The wait time to renew a passport is currently around 15 days.

Brexit has changed the rules for passport validity for British citizens entering the EU: ensure you will be complying on your date of travel.

Pick your destination carefully

Most countries that are open to UK tourists have slightly relaxed travel rules for either under-18s or under-12s. Children in certain age groups may be able to take a negative test for entry without being required to show proof of vaccination. Proof of recovery from Covid is an acceptable alternative to testing or vaccination to visit some nations, although this is only accessible to people aged 12 or over, via the NHS app (see more on this below). Under fives are usually exempt from testing and vaccination rules.

Should you be travelling with children over 12 who are not fully vaccinated there are some countries to avoid for a holiday. This may be due to entry rules, or rules on the ground that would prohibit an enjoyable break. Others are mandating proof of full vaccination and a booster for over-18s.

Among the countries with the most challenging rules are:

Malta

Under-12s can travel with a fully immunised adult or guardian (children over five must show evidence of a negative PCR test) Children 12-16 cannot enter without proof of full vaccination.

Canada

Under-12s are exempt from quarantine if travelling with fully vaccinated parents or guardians, but are subject to enhanced protocols, including pre- and post-arrivals tests (under-fives are exempt) and no entry to some settings in the first 14 days after arrival, such as crowded transport and amusement parks. Children aged between 12 and 17 are permitted to enter with fully vaccinated parents or guardians, but are subject to 14 days of quarantine.

Germany

Travellers from the UK aged six or over must show proof of full vaccination to enter Germany. Fully vaccinated travellers can avoid quarantine on arrival in Germany by completing a form before travel. Germany will also accept proof of recovery from Covid as a way for UK travellers to avoid quarantine on arrival. Travellers aged six or over need to be fully vaccinated and have received a booster jab, or have a recent negative test result, to enter cafes, bars and restaurants in Germany. Proof of recovery from Covid (including the UK's version of this) will also be accepted as documentation.

Netherlands

The UK is designated as a ‘very high-risk’ area by the Netherlands. Travellers arriving from the UK are subject to quarantine, regardless of their vaccination status.

Belgium

Fully vaccinated UK holidaymakers are permitted to enter but requirements include a pre-departure test, test on day 1 after arrival with quarantine until they receive a negative result and a PCR test on day 7. Under-18s can enter without proof of vaccination, but will face quarantine. Over-12s who are not fully vaccinated must follow quarantine rules.

France

Fully vaccinated Britons and their children are able to visit France with evidence of a negative test taken up to 24 hours before travel, this requirement is expected to be dropped or fully vaccinated travellers. Children under the age of 12 do not need a test or to be vaccinated to enter France when accompanied by a vaccinated adult, nor do they need a pass vaccinal.

Teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 may enter France by showing a negative antigen or PCR test taken within 24 hours. If they are accompanied by an adult, they do not need to be vaccinated and will not have to quarantine. Once in France, teenagers aged between 12 and 15 are only required to have pass sanitaire. which can be activated for 24 hours with a QR code from a negative antigen test carried out by a professional – or by a complete course of vaccination. Those aged 16 and over, however, need the pass vaccinal. This means two doses, but not the booster dose which is only required for those aged over 18 years and one month.

See more information in our travel to France guide.

Austria

Children under the age of 12 do not need proof of vaccination/recovery or a PCR test if accompanied by fully vaccinated or recovered adults. If the accompanying adult has to quarantine, the child must quarantine too. The child can then leave self-isolation at the same time as the adult. Children aged 12 or over, born on or after September 1 2006, can use the first PCR test of a Holiday Ninja Pass to enter Austria. Children born before September 1, 2006 face the same entry rules as adults, this includes showing either proof of full vaccination or recent (within the past 180 days) recovery from Covid to enter Austria. If the second dose was more than 270 days ago, travellers must also have evidence of a booster. In addition, travellers who are not of an exempt age must present a negative PCR test not more than 72 hours old when they arrive, unless they received a booster vaccination 120 days or more after their second shot. Proof of recovery in the past 180 days, alongside two vaccinations, also counts as a booster. Different vaccine validity rules apply once in Austria (see “Covid passports”, below): two-dose vaccinations are only valid for 180 days (210 days for under 18 year olds). A booster is valid for 270 days.See more information here.

Italy

Italy is open to British holidaymakers with proof of full vaccination or proof of recovery from Covid, plus a negative test. Those who are not fully vaccinated will be required to quarantine for five days, unless they are under 17 and travelling with a fully vaccinated adult.

The most tricky rules in Italy and those which might prohibit your holiday are on the ground. Its ‘Super Green Pass’ rule requires proof of vaccination or recovery (a negative PCR result is not sufficient) for anyone aged 12 or over to access a range of venues and locations, including hotels, ski lifts and ski resorts. Vaccine-ineligible children under 12 (which includes most children from the UK) have to prove their age to access key services.

Note: The above list is not exhaustive and rules can change quickly; check the Foreign Office advice page for your destination for the latest information before you book and travel.

Book your pre-departure tests

Many destinations in both Europe and further afield may still require a negative Covid-19 test for entry, even if you are fully vaccinated. The time period in which this test can be taken can vary, but typically it is either 48 hours or 72 hours before departure. Some destinations will accept an antigen test, others require a PCR.

If you haven’t travelled abroad at all, or infrequently, over the past couple of years you may not yet appreciate the careful timing needed when planning tests for travel. You might opt to take a test at home, at a test centre close to where you live, or – should you be heading to one that offers fast-turnaround tests – at the airport.

Book with a reliable provider and take note of when it should return your result.

Ensure over-12s are fully vaccinated (and secure a Covid Pass)

The second jab was rolled out to 12-15-year-olds on December 20. Children in this age range have been able to book their second dose of a vaccine since this date. Children aged 12 or over have access to the NHS Covid Pass. Children will need to register for an NHS login to obtain a digital NHS Covid Pass.

Meanwhile, under-16s who are not yet eligible for a second dose, for example they have recently had a Covid infection, have been left in limbo. Some destinations accept proof of recovery in place of full vaccination – see below for how to secure this.

Some countries treat under-16s as fully vaccinated, including Iceland, Switzerland and Montenegro. Other countries will accept testing and a very small number will accept proof of recovery, to allow under-16s to be treated as fully vaccinated. Some key destinations that will allow evidence of recovery alongside another piece of proof in some form of other evidence, such as a single vaccine dose or a negative test, they include:

  • Austria

  • Bulgaria

  • Croatia

  • Denmark

  • France

  • Finland

  • Iceland

  • Norway

  • Portugal

  • Turkey

  • Norway

Check if adults need to be boosted

Some destinations – such as Austria and France – have rules in place for boosters. All over-18s have been offered a booster jab and most people will have received it. It will typically take two weeks until after you have had a booster for you to be considered boosted. It can take a couple of days after you’ve had the dose for it to be added to your record on the NHS Covid Pass.

Check rules on the ground

From needing proof of vaccination to enjoy a morning coffee at a Parisian cafe to requiring a certain type of mask to board a water taxi in Venice, local Covid regulations can be strict and unexpected. Families should familiarise themselves with where they might need to show passes and/or a negative test to enter venues as well as packing a sufficient supply of the correct type of masks. Some countries still require masks to be worn outside. Rules can vary between different regions.

The European countries that require FFP2/N95 masks in some settings include:

  • Austria

  • Greece

  • Italy

  • Germany

Health or green pass rules often extend to public transport, such as cross country trains. Further, unexpected stipulations may apply: in France, for example, the sale of food and drink is prohibited on long-distance trains.

Secure proof of recovery (if required)

If any of your family tested positive for Covid-19 in the previous three months, they may return a false positive on a PCR test, even though their risk of infecting someone else has long since passed. This problem affects up to a third of people. It can cause issues for entering destinations where a negative pre-departure PCR test is required. A document showing proof of recovery will help to lessen this risk.

Consider insurance cover for testing positive on arrival

Travel cover is more important than ever since the pandemic due to fast-changing rules and risks such as a positive Covid test ruining a holiday or getting stranded overseas. Check with your provider before booking and travel, particularly if your destination has more stringent rules. See our guide to travel insurance with Covid cover.

Gather your paperwork

Passenger locator or arrival forms are required for entry to many destinations. Check how far in advance you need to complete such paperwork.

Check specific rules for ski or cruise holidays

Both ski and cruise holidays can be entirely inaccessible to most adults unless they are fully vaccinated and – in the case of some ski destinations – boosted.

Most cruise lines require all passengers over 18 to be fully vaccinated. Many require children aged 12 or older to have received both jabs.

Prepare your health passes

The digital NHS Covid Pass, available on the NHS app, can be used as a health or green pass in EU destinations. This includes: Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy and Spain, among others. However, rules vary (see country-by-country details above) with some requiring most adults to have received their booster dose.

Follow the mask rules on the plane

Travellers aged 11 or over are required to wear a face covering at most UK airports. Nearly all airlines require passengers to wear a face mask at all times, except when eating or drinking. Typically this applies to travellers aged 12 or over on UK-based airlines, but check before you travel. It applies to all those aged 2 and above on flights to the US.

Head to the airport (or Eurostar) in plenty of time

Last-minute rule changes and complex admin requirements might mean that you can’t check in online or, should you choose not to, that the queue at check in might be longer than you’d expect.

Check the rules of your hotel

The health or green pass rules in some countries extend to access to hotels. Masks may be required in public areas and social distancing rules may be in place.

Fill out your passenger locator forms (for return home)

This is the only remaining restriction for return to the UK for fully vaccinated travellers and under-18s. The UK Government says that this form will be simplified to confirm vaccination status, travel history and contact details – you’ll have an extra day to fill it out. Travellers can currently submit the form in the 48 hours before they arrive in the UK. You can include someone under 18 who is travelling with you on the same form for travel to England, if you’re staying at the same address. If you’re entering Scotland, they must be under 18 to be included on the same form.