WATCH: Leanne visits Randox Health Clinic in Liverpool to find out about its Covid-19 travel testing service

Travelling abroad is no longer as simple as just booking your flight and packing your bags.

COVID-19 means there are certain requirements you need to fulfil before you get on board that plane.

It means, for instance, that if you’re travelling abroad for work or to see relatives, you may need to get a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country and, perhaps, continue to test while you’re away and when you come back.

And, as this isn’t a service provided by the NHS Test & Trace service, you’ll need to find a private test provider to get it.

Randox Health, which has centres across the UK including Liverpool, has been trusted in carrying out vital health tests and checks for more than 30 years, and it now offers a comprehensive range of COVID-19 checks which can be carried out in their centres or at home.

What test do I need to get to verify that I do not have the COVID-19 virus?

A PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test is the most accurate test for detecting the virus, and can tell you with an accuracy of 99% if you currently have COVID-19. PCR tests are internationally recognised as the gold standard for COVID-19 testing by the World Health Organisation and are the backbone of every Government’s national testing programme.

How do I know if I need a COVID-19 PCR Test to travel?

If you’re travelling from the UK, you can check entry requirements for your destination online at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. Due to constants changes, requirements can change so you should check and re-check in the weeks and days leading up to your trip.

How can I get a PCR?

You can order a home test kit online or visit a Randox Health Centre for a COVID-19 PCR test. If you visit a centre a trained clinician will collect the required nasal and throat swab sample. The process should only take about five minutes.

How soon will I get my results?

If you visit a centre you are guaranteed the results the next day (with a home test that’s the day after Randox’s accredited laboratory has received the sample for analysis and sent confirmation via email).

If you need a rapid PCR test, you can visit a Randox Health Travel Centre for an express COVID-19 test and get your results back within three hours.

How much does it cost?

A rapid 3-hr fit to fly PCR test costs £175, and a standard test costs £99.

A home test costs £48.

Do I get a travel certificate?

You will receive a travel certificate/test report which will contain all the necessary information.

Do I need a PCR test or can it be a lateral flow test?

Some countries now accept rapid antigen testing or require an antigen test as a secondary test (along with a negative PCR test). Antigen tests – also know as lateral flow tests – will reveal if a person is currently infected with a virus such as COVID-19. And Randox Health can provide those too.

Where is Randox Health in Liverpool?

Randox Health has a centre in Tithebarn Street in Liverpool – Exchange Station – and a Randox Health Travel Centre based at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

How do I book a test?

You can order home tests or book into a centre online at www.randoxhealth.com

Does Randox Health only do pre-departure COVID-19 tests?

No, Randox Health provides Day 2 and Day 8 testing, day five ‘tests to release’, tests to return, antibody testing and more.

For example, Randox Health has ‘Green’ and ‘Amber’ testing travel packs:

* Its green travel pack contains one pre-departure test (from the UK) and 1 x day 2 COVID-19 test, and is ideal for travel to ‘green’ list countries.

The green travel pack costs £96 and for that you get a convenient home sample collection kit, gold standard PCR methodology and next day results from receipt of sample at its lab.

* The amber travel pack costs £144 and contains one pre-departure (from the UK) test, 1 x day 2 and 1 x day 8 COVID-19 test, ideal for travel to ‘amber’ list countries.

It even has an Algarve Return Travel Pack for anyone travelling to and from the Algarve. 

* The pack contains four COVID-19 tests to cover all testing requirements for departing the UK and arriving home; one pre-departure test in the UK, 1 x pre-departure test in Algarve, 1 x day 2 and 1 x day 8 test on arrival back in the UK. And, while you are away the sample can be collected from where you are staying or people can return the sample for free using one of many drop box locations in Algarve. It costs £189.

You’ll win a free health check with Randox Health worth £500

Why should I choose Randox?

Randox has decades of testing experience and expertise and currently offers the cheapest tests in the UK.

For more information about all COVID-19 tests – and all health care checks and packages – from Randox Health, go to www.randoxhealth.com or call 0800 2545201.