admin Scotland is one of the many countries currently preparing to ease travel requirements for international travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. England previously announced it is relaxing travel requirements, and now the Scottish government is taking a similar approach.
Details on the Planned Reopening
First, beginning October 4th fully vaccinated international travelers from countries not on Scotland’s Red list will no longer be required to take pre-departure COVID-19 tests, the Scottish government announced. Secondly, in a move that parallels the approach taken by the British government, Scotland will change its “traffic light system” of checks for international travel. While the “Green” and “Amber” classifications will merge, the “Red” list will still be used for countries considered to have high COVID-19 case rates or “variants of concern.”
“We have concerns that the UK Government’s proposals to remove the requirement for a pre-departure test for some travelers could weaken our ability to protect the public health of Scotland’s communities,” Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said. “However, we also recognize that not having UK-wide alignment causes significant practical problems and creates disadvantages for Scottish businesses. Also, if non-alignment led to travelers to Scotland choosing to route through airports elsewhere in the UK, the public health benefits of testing would be undermined in any event.”
A Decision Made After Much Deliberation
The decision to change travel requirements was not made rashly, cabinet secretary Matheson said. Instead, it was only made after weighing a number of factors, including possible impact on public health. “After liaising at length with stakeholders from the aviation sector to understand the impact of adopting a different approach in Scotland, we have reluctantly concluded that, for practical reasons, alignment with the UK is the best option,” Matheson said.
Pre-departure COVID-19 tests will no longer be required for fully vaccinated travelers from non-Red list countries. Travelers will need to provide proof of receiving the Moderna, Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer/BioNTech, or Janssen vaccine. It appears, however, that fully vaccinated travelers will still need to be tested for COVID-19 at some point after arrival in Scotland. “We also intend to align with the UK post-arrival testing regime,” Matheson said. “The details of that are still being developed with lateral flow tests being considered — and we will engage further with the UK Government on those plans. Details will be announced at the same time as the UK.”
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