Flying to the UK Under The Green List

Disclaimer

This information is accurate as of 13th September 2021.

Under the UK’s traffic light travel scheme, Singapore is fortunate enough to be placed under the Green List! This means that travelers from Singapore are not required to quarantine/isolate themselves when they arrive in the UK! However, there are other requirements of the traveler as well such as completing a pre-departure COVID-19 test 3 days within the time of departure from Singapore, booking an arrival COVID-19 test in the UK, and finally, completing a passenger locator form.

Pre-Departure COVID-19 Test

To view a list of MOH-approved pre-departure COVID-19 test locations, do view here! You are required to be tested within 3 days before the time of your flight’s departure from Singapore! If your flight for example is on the 15th, the earliest you can book a test is on the 12th. Personally, I booked a test with Raffles Medical as you can book the test easily on the app/online. All tests are PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), and it is the gold standard of COVID testing. In other words, this will be the painful type of swab where the swab stick goes all the way into the nose and to the back of your throat! A tip – open your mouth wide and breathe through your mouth.

Booking an On-Arrival Test

The next step for you would be to book an on-arrival test. This could be at a clinic, at the airport itself, or done at your accommodation on your own! I would advise doing a self-swab as it is much cheaper and convenient! The test has to be done on or before Day 2 of your arrival in the UK. The day that you arrive in the UK is considered to be Day 0. Do take note that you will be required to do a swab test with an approved provider/clinic that specifically does “Day 2 Arrival Swab Tests.” For a list of clinics that provide this service, do refer here! I booked it with Screen4 and the whole process was very convenient! They are able to ship the test kit to your accommodation on the day that you arrive in the UK.

Completing a Passenger Locator Form

The passenger locator form is a way that authorities can ensure that you comply with travel regulations. It will include your address in the UK, flight details, as well as a booking reference for your Day 2 Arrival swab test. This form will only be available within 48 hours before your flight. You are able to find the form here. Do make sure that you print your completed form out so that you can present it to the immigration authorities/check-in.

Arriving in the UK/Day 2 Swab Test

When you arrive at the airport in the UK, everything will pretty much be as usual. If you’re holding a Singaporean passport, one tip to hasten your immigration process would be to use the e-gates.

As mentioned before, I chose the self-swab test kit. Thankfully, when I arrived at the hotel, the test kit was already shipped to the front counter so I could do the swab test right once I’ve settled down. If you’re not confident in conducting a self-swab test, don’t worry! There are a set of helpful instructions that come with it! For mine, I was required to do a throat and nose swab. Yucks!

Once I was done, I checked the approved drop-off locations online and proceeded to drop off my test kit. Results will take a while so do be patient! Don’t worry, you are able to roam freely in the meantime so you are not confined to your accommodation. But do be safe though and take the extra precautions!