Dears Pharmacy

COVID Fit to Fly PCR Testing

Show you're safe to fly with a PCR test and travel certificate - COVID Fit to Fly

Safe travels with a Covid-19 PCR test and a 'fit-to-fly' certificate.

All our test costs includes your certificate to confirm status if you test negative.

Pre-departure same day testing service

From Wednesday 11th August we are pleased to offer a Same Day Fit to Fly PCR test for Pre-Travel.

Just £159 per test.

This is available in our locations at Easter Rd, Oxgangs, Dunfermline & Glenrothes.

Results will be issued at midnight on the same day the test is taken.

Green List Country Testing

If you're travelling or returning to the UK from Green listed countries, such as Portugal, you'll face more relaxed testing rules.

  • Pre-departure test: Take a test no earlier than 72 hours before starting your journey. Just £119 per test.
  • Post-arrival: You’ll need to take a PCR test on Day 2 after your arrival. Available to book now at £99 per test.
  • Quarantine: There’s no need to quarantine unless you test positive.
Amber List Country Testing

Travellers from Amber listed countries will face more stringent testing rules.

  • Pre-departure test: Like green countries, take a test no earlier than 72 hours before starting your journey. Just £119 per test.
  • Fully Vaccinated Amber Arrivals (Adults & Children 5-18yrs): From 19th July 2021: Need to take a PCR test on Day 2 after your arrival. Available to book now at £99 per test.
  • Post-arrival: Take a PCR test on Day 2 and another on Day 8 after arrival. Available to book now as a package for £195.
  • Quarantine: 10 days, but you can opt for our Test to Release kit, a PCR test on Day 5, allowing you to exit quarantine early and get back to doing the things you love at £129 per test.
Fit-to-Fly tests for departures from the UK

Most countries now require proof of a negative Covid-19 test for entry.  Please check your destination country requirements for the type of test required and the time window during which you need to take it before departure:

  • PCR: Negative PCR tests are widely accepted. After checking your destination country's requirements, use our travel calculator to determine when you should order your test.
  • Antigen Test: The USA and a number of other countries also accept a negative Covid-19 rapid antigen test for entry. These lateral flow tests (LFDs) are faster and less expensive than PCR tests.  If you are travelling to the USA or have confirmed that your destination country accepts LFDs: Antigen Nasal Testing / Antigen Saliva Testing.
All countries: Pre-departure testing for arrivals to the UK
Wherever you’re travelling from, you must take a Covid-19 test before starting your journey to the UK. Order your test kit before you travel, and we will ship it to you in the UK so that you can take it abroad with you. We are not able to ship the test kit to you abroad.
 
Green country Day 2 testing for arrivals to the UK: In addition to the pre-departure test, arrivals to the UK from green listed countries must take a PCR test on or before Day 2 after their arrival. There is no need to quarantine unless you test positive. Order your test before you travel to the UK, as you will need to present proof of this booking on your passenger locator form before you depart to the UK and also on entry. Your arrival date is Day 0.
 
Amber country Day 2 testing for arrivals to the UK: In addition to the pre-departure test, arrivals to the UK from amber listed countries are required to quarantine for 10 days and take PCR tests on or before Day 2 and on or after Day 8 of arrival. These tests must be purchased as a bundle, even if you opt for Test to Release. Order your tests before you travel to the UK, as you will need to present proof of this booking on your passenger locator form before you depart to the UK and also on entry. Your arrival date is Day 0.
 
Fully Vaccinated Amber country Day 2 testing: From 19th July those who have been fully vaccinated with an NHS administered vaccine in the UK and are returning from amber countries will still be required to complete a pre-departure test before arrival, alongside a PCR test on or before day 2 after arrival. They will not have to take a day 8 test or self-isolate. Children under the age of 18 will not have to isolate when returning. While the recommendation that people should not travel to amber countries is being removed, children aged 4 and under will continue to be exempt from any travel testing. Children aged 5 to 10 will only need to do a day 2 PCR and 11 to 18 year olds will need to take both a pre-departure test and a day 2 PCR – as is the case for arrivals from green list countries.
 
Test to Release - optional Day 5 test: If you’re arriving from an amber listed country, you can opt into the Test to Release scheme to cut your 10-day quarantine. You will need to take a PCR test 5 full days after your arrival and, on receiving a negative result, you will be able to leave self-isolation early. You should order it before you start your return journey to the UK as you'll need to enter the test information on your passenger locator form. If you decide to take part in the scheme after you have arrived, you will need to complete another passenger locator form. Your arrival date is Day 0. Even if you opt into Test to Release, you’ll still need to take your Day 8 test.
 
Red list country testing for arrivals to the UK: At present, Dears Pharmacy does not offer testing for arrivals to the UK from red listed countries.
Prior to travel follow these simple steps:
  1. You need to order and pay for this test before you are due to arrive in the UK. The day you arrive in the UK is your day 0 and you can conduct your Day 2 test on or before day 2.
  2. During checkout you will have a choice of free shipping, or an in-store booking. If you choose in-store testing, you will need to book your Day 2 appointment on the system when you book.
  3. You will then be given a unique code to reference (e.g. DEARS1234567) when you fill out your UK government passenger locator form before you arrive in the UK.
  4. It is vital you register your test before entering the UK as the information is required for UK border entry. Also if you do not register your test we are unable to process your test in the laboratory.
  5. If you do not receive your confirmation email after this booking, please check your spam or junk email before contacting us.
Covid-19 travel certificate

As restrictions on international travel are gradually being lifted, many destination countries require a medical certificate showing proof of a negative test result for Covid-19, either to gain entry or to avoid the need to quarantine.
Even in cases where the destination country does not require proof of a negative result, knowing you are coronavirus free before travelling to a foreign country can give you extra peace of mind.

How to get a Covid-19 travel certificate

3 easy steps to fly safely:

  1. Work out when you need to take your test: Many destinations require a negative result from a sample taken no more than 48 hours before your flight. You should confirm this requirement before purchasing.
  2. Order your test and certificate: Once you’ve confirmed travel dates, you can go ahead and visit your local Dears Pharmacy to carry out your test with our trained pharmacists. Please bring your passport and dates of your Covid Vaccinations where applicable.
  3. Getting your results: We will return your results within 48 hours of receipt at the lab. They will be sent to you via email, along with a certificate if you test negative. This will include the sample date and the date of the results.

If you are travelling abroad, we provide Covid-19 travel certificates, which can be used to prove a negative result required by certain countries to gain entry or avoid the need to quarantine. Results are released within 48 hours after the completed test is received at the lab. The lab we work with operates 7 days a week and will send the certificate and results via email as soon as they are received. The results will include the patient name, date of test, DOB, Passport Number and results from the test taken.

PCR Swab Test

The test is carried out by our trained pharmacists using a swab that takes samples from the throat and the nose. The PCR test detects the presence of Covid-19 viral RNA and is most appropriate during the earliest stages after exposure to the virus, and should be undertaken when someone suspects they have Covid-19, or if they believe they have been recently exposed to it. The scientific consensus is that the virus can stay in your nose and throat for 14 days but it can be shorter or longer in some people. Therefore a negative result may also mean the virus was not in your nose and throat when the test was done, or the swab test was not correctly done. The test has a sensitivity of at least 98% which means that there is also a chance of up to 2% of recording a false negative reading.

Why you may need a PCR test

You may need a PCR test for Covid-19 if you are planning to travel abroad from the United Kingdom. As restrictions on travel are gradually lifted, many destination countries require a medical certificate showing proof of a negative test result for Covid-19, either to gain entry or to avoid the need to quarantine.

Suffering from COVID symptoms:

If you suspect that you may have Covid-19, but only mild symptoms or potential exposure to someone with Covid-19, we recommend that you book a PCR test and, in line with NHS advice, self-isolate for 7 days from when symptoms started. If you live with others you should self-isolate for 14 days from when the first person in the house became ill.

There is no need to call NHS 111 to self-isolate. However, if symptoms have not improved after 14 days, contact NHS 111 online or by phone. If your symptoms worsen at any point please call 111. If you are struggling with your breathing please call 999. Tests are currently only being offered by the NHS to patients who are being admitted to hospital and some NHS frontline staff and some key workers. This leaves many people with uncertainty about the best course of action for their own health.

Availability

This service is available in / from the following pharmacies:

Select your preferred pharmacy to visit their page and enquire about this service or just pop in when it suits you.

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