UK makes quarantine mandatory for Pakistanis in new travel advisory

KARACHI -- The United Kingdom on Wednesday said that Pakistanis coming to Britain will have to undergo certain coronavirus safety checks until it recognises the Covid vaccine certificate issued by the Pakistani authorities.

The British government had removed Pakistan from the red list and placed on the amber list on September 22 along with several other countries, but in the latest travel advisory, it said it was working with Pakistani authorities to recognise the vaccine certificate issued by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Pakistan is now on a new "rest of the world" list — and is not on the list of the countries whose vaccination certificates are recognised in the UK.

As England mulls recognising the NADRA-issued certificate, here are the rules that Pakistani travellers should follow: 

• Take a PCR test within 72hrs pre-departure;
• Self-isolate for 10 days on arrival, or test to release on day 5;
• and Book day 2/8 PCR tests and complete a passenger locator form

However, once the UK authorities recognise NADRA's vaccination certificate, Pakistanis — who are fully vaccinated — will not have to self-isolate or take a pre-departure test, although they will still have to complete a two-day test and fill in a passenger locator form.

Which vaccines does UK recognise:

• Pfizer;
• Moderna;
• AstraZeneca; and
• Johnson & Johnson

China's Sinopharm and Sinovac are approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) but these are not approved by the UK government and are not part of the UK-approved list of vaccines.