Following the discovery of a new, highly contagious strain of the Coronavirus, most EU countries announced new measures - from banning UK travellers to travel to the Continent to mandatory tests for those allowed to travel.

The rapid shutdown of travel between the UK and the Continent has created havoc and is making it difficult for travellers to keep their finger on the pulse.

To help you navigte the situation, the BRB team has summarised the different types of tests you may required to take, as well as what is required in each country and what to do if your trip is cancelled.

This post will be updated as and when travel requirements change for a specific country, so be sure to add it to your bookmark and come back to it before planning your next trip to Europe.

Mandatory Covid Testing

Since coronavirus arrived in Europe in early 2020, many EU countries increased their testing capacity. But with so many different testing options available from the NHS, GP practices, pharmacies or private testing centres, it can be quite confusing to know which test is right for you.

So what is the difference between the PCR, TMA or Antigen tests, what do they tell us and how much do they cost?

This ultimate Covid testing guide will tell you all about the major tests available as well as which ones you will need to take depending on the country you are visiting.

▪ PCR tests: These are very accurate as the are looking to see the genetic code of the virus. The test lets you know if you currently have the virus. These currently cost £110-150, you can get them in Boots for £120.

▪ Antigen Or Antibody tests: These tests look to see if you carry any antibodies that show that you have had the virus before and have developed an immunity. These cost between £50-100 and can be bought online, and results sent back to you within 24 hrs.

▪ Lateral Flow tests: These are known as rapid tests, they use a swab and a small reader (much like a pregnancy test) and you get a response in 15 mins. These are what you will see at airports etc. you can get them online from around £35.

▪ TMA or LAMP tests: These are required for entry to Spain but are actually quite hard to get hold of at the moment. The best place to get these are at the airports such as Heathrow and cost about £79.

Travel Requirements by Country

Our team of travel experts are constantly monitoring the government advice and information on our destination country embassy pages and will keep this up to date (last updated on 18/01/2021).

The tests required for each country have been referenced below:

Tests & Days:

Full Name	Abbreviation
PCR	PCR
Antigen	AT
Lateral Flow	LF
TMA or LAMP	TMA
On Arrival	AV
Day	D
24 Hours	24
48 Hours	48
72 Hours	72

How to read the below table?

▪ If a cell has the reference "PCR/LF-48", it means that you will need to take either a PCR or Lateral Flow test 48 hours before departure.

▪ If a cell has the reference "AT-24", it simply means that you will need to take an Antigen test 24 hours before departure.

▪ When it comes to testing on arrival or quarantine, a cell referencing "AV+D5" means that you will need to take a test On Arrival (AV) at destination as well as another test after Day 5.

Tests & Quarantine by EU Country

At the time of writing, all UK travellers returning from a trip to the EU will be subject to a 10-day quarantine.

Country	Travel Allowed?	Test (Departure)?	Test (Arrival)	Quarantine (Arrival)
Austria	No	No	No	10 Days
Belgium	No	PCR-72	D7	No
Bulgaria	No	PCR-72	No	No
Czech	No	PCR/AT-72	D5	5 Days
Denmark	No	PCR/LF-24	D4	10 Days
France	No	PCR/AT-72	No	No
Germany	No	Any-48	D5	10 Days
Greece	No	PCR-72	AV	10 Days
Hungary	No	No	D5	10 Days
Iceland	No	No	AV+D5	No
Italy	No	PCR/AT-72	AV	14 Days
Latvia	No	No	AV+D9	10 Days
Lithuania	No	PCR-48	No	10 Days
Luxembourg	No	PCR/AT-48	AV	10 Days
Malta	No	PCR-72	No	14 Days
Netherlands	No	PCR	No	10 Days
Norway	No	PCR/AT-72	D1+D7	10 Days
Poland	No	No	No	10 Days
Portugal	No	PCR-72	No	No
Romania	No	PCR/AT-48	No	14 Days
Slovakia	No	No	D5	14 Days
Spain	No	TMA-72	No	No
Sweden	No	PCR-72	AV+D5	7 Days
Switzerland	No	No	No	10 Days

What Happens if I Cannot Travel?

Firstly, it is important to say we will never book at trip to a destination that at the time of booking has travel restrictions in place, even if they look like they are going to be dropped. As we all know from the summer of 2020 as we start seeing travel corridors open, they can be closed with short notice.

There is no need to worry about this though, our team of travel experts keep an eye on all our bookings and all the changes to travel advice. If your trip is affected, we will be in touch to either arrange a new destination or date of travel for you. As always, we will sort this for you and make sure there is as little to do from your end as possible.

BRB: Your Travel, Sorted.

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All we need is two minutes of your time to tell us what you like and when you can go away. We simply use this data to create trips that match your personal preferences. Personalised trips that are as individual as you are.

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Check out our European city guides:

• 48 hours in Prague
• 48 hours in Budapest
• 48 hours in Barcelona
• 48 hours in St Ives
• 48 hours in Brussels
• 48 hours in Milan
• 48 hours in Warsaw
• 48 hours in Nice
• 48 hours in Rome
• 48 hours in Krakow
• 48 hours in Lisbon
• 48 hours in Berlin
• 48 hours in Venice
• 48 hours in Gdansk
• 48 hours in Stockholm
• 48 hours in Bratislava
• 48 hours in Madrid