Covid test prior to sailing to Spain. Where are you guys having it done?

[Deleted member 49439]

I know similar Covid threads have been posted however this is specifically targeted to those members who have already booked and made test arrangements to travel by ferry. We are hoping to travel to Spain in January with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Santander and the ferries are now filling up. Question is if you are one of the travellers already booked where are you having your Covid-19 test carried out in order to have the necessary paperwork to make the sailing on Tuesday morning at 9:00am and how much are you paying for the test? As I see it the sailings are weekly setting off a 9:00am every Tuesday morning. Spanish authorities require a document from a laboratory stating that you haven’t got Covid-19. This test has to be carried out within 72 hours of you arriving on Spanish soil. The ferry docks in Spain at 14:30pm the following day which means a test has to be undertaken after 14:30 on the Sunday prior to sailing. Most laboratories are closed on Sunday. Any help, advise and relevant associated costs would be appreciated. Thank you

 

[Petes]

There are a couple of places in London that give you a same day service if you get there before 11.30am, at the moment we will use one of those, still £250 a pop.
You can have the certificate digitally. If you search for Covid travel tests then they come up very early in the search.
We will go on the Monday.
However there is three reviews of the list by the Spanish and I'm hoping we may drop off due to the way the numbers are falling

 

[Wooie1958]

Our son has just had a test done at Boots the Chemist and got the result first thing the following morning, cost £120.

 

[Mo and John C]

I know similar Covid threads have been posted however this is specifically targeted to those members who have already booked and made test arrangements to travel by ferry. We are hoping to travel to Spain in January with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Santander and the ferries are now filling up. Question is if you are one of the travellers already booked where are you having your Covid-19 test carried out in order to have the necessary paperwork to make the sailing on Tuesday morning at 9:00am and how much are you paying for the test? As I see it the sailings are weekly setting off a 9:00am every Tuesday morning. Spanish authorities require a document from a laboratory stating that you haven’t got Covid-19. This test has to be carried out within 72 hours of you arriving on Spanish soil. The ferry docks in Spain at 14:30pm the following day which means a test has to be undertaken after 14:30 on the Sunday prior to sailing. Most laboratories are closed on Sunday. Any help, advise and relevant associated costs would be appreciated. Thank you

Just as a matter of interest, our relatives who have residency here in Spain had a sailing booked to return from the UK last Monday, but couldn't get a test done in the appropriate time, so they re booked and went into France and drove down into Spain, there is no requirement to have the test if you do it that way. They are now back home in Denia, after a non eventful journey. ☺

 

[John H]

Just as a matter of interest, our relatives who have residency here in Spain had a sailing booked to return from the UK last Monday, but couldn't get a test done in the appropriate time, so they re booked and went into France and drove down into Spain, there is no requirement to have the test if you do it that way. They are now back home in Denia, after a non eventful journey. ☺

Good to hear that because we have friends who had the same problem and so switched their ferry to Caen. The ferry docked this morning and I assume that they are now speeding their way south to join us - eta Sunday. At least we haven't had a frantic phone call saying they can't get through

 

[Petes]

I think we will probably do the same and drive down thru France unless the rules change, I have a Eurotunnel voucher so I'm thinking use that to get across with a return in November next year and then move the BF sailing to September so go across in January thru France and come back with BF, then in Sptember go out with BF and come back via Eurotunnel. I have a PO Ferry voucher as well, this year has been quite entertaining hasnt it!!!

 

[Moped]

Just to add that Brittany Ferries want to view the negative test certificate before they will allow you on the ferry.

If you are getting a 9am ferry you could be struggling with the 72 hour limit if you test 2 days prior to obtain the result 1 day prior. Remember it can take 1hr or so to unload and actually reach the Spanish authorities in charge of the examination process. And if you have poor weather the crossing could be delayed.

I was looking at the 22:15 departure and getting the test the previous day. It’s a 33 hour crossing. This timing can definitely get you on the ferry and to Spain within the 72 hour limit as long as you take the test in the afternoon and get the result the following day. This leaves around 6 to 8 hours of time to spare.

Thinking of using these below as they cover the West Midlands and they can do same day for a price:-

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[tidewatcher]

Do check which test is acceptable to the Spanish authorities. We were supposed to be heading to Cyprus but they require the full wretch and hooter one which takes longer to give a result than some of the other tests available privately. We nearly fell for a local clinic but their test would not have been accepted.

 

[John H]

Good to hear that because we have friends who had the same problem and so switched their ferry to Caen. The ferry docked this morning and I assume that they are now speeding their way south to join us - eta Sunday. At least we haven't had a frantic phone call saying they can't get through

Update - our friends' ferry was cancelled so they won't be arriving in Caen until tonight! ETA here now Wednesday.

 

[Mo and John C]

Good to hear that because we have friends who had the same problem and so switched their ferry to Caen. The ferry docked this morning and I assume that they are now speeding their way south to join us - eta Sunday. At least we haven't had a frantic phone call saying they can't get through

Are they British or Spanish residents? Didn't think British could leave....

 

[Deleted member 9237]

If any one is traveling into Portugal you will need a test before the let you in my friend that is on our land in Portugal has to have a test done before he enters Spain and another before travels over to the UK

 

[John H]

Are they British or Spanish residents? Didn't think British could leave....

They are British residents and all British residents have been free to travel since the end of the lockdown on December 2nd. Their ferry was originally mid-November but they had to postpone that due to lockdown.

 

[clewless]

Don't bother with buying a test. Totally unreliable. We were flying to Bermuda and decided to get a NHS test and to be on the safe side, we bought a covid test from City Doc for £100 each. We tested negative with the NHS test 6 days before flying so didn't use the City Doc test. The next day Bermuda changed the requirements to a test 5 days before flying, so we immediately sent off the City Doc test. My wife got her negative test results back the next day; I am still waiting for mine 6 days later. Consequently; instead of enjoying time with our Grand children in Bermuda, I am sitting in my office on a cold wet miserable day. with a bank balance reduced by £1,800 due to re booking our flights. We are now booked to fly next Wednesday and our free NHS tests have already been confirmed as negative for both of us.

 

[mfw]

Wouldn't surprise me if the vaccination jab and proving it on a card comes into travel at some point

 

[Markd]

I wouldn't be surprised if we are banned from entering EU at all in new year on Covid19 rules for non EU countries.
So question of where to get tests/certificates may be a bit academic?
Probably won't know formally until the very last minute though.

 

[Markd]

I think we will probably do the same and drive down thru France unless the rules change, I have a Eurotunnel voucher so I'm thinking use that to get across with a return in November next year and then move the BF sailing to September so go across in January thru France and come back with BF, then in Sptember go out with BF and come back via Eurotunnel. I have a PO Ferry voucher as well, this year has been quite entertaining hasnt it!!!

That's an ingenious use of existing ticketing to work with the 90/180 rule.