I'm heading to the UK in May.


Based on bojo's roadmap, by the 17 of May we shouldn't have too many restrictions on travel .... "International leisure travel may start from 17 May".

The UK is doing around 400,000 vaccines per day (roughly what we've done in CH since we started in December)... so by mid-May, assuming numbers stay steady (predictions are that vaccine numbers per day will even go up), that's 40million doses given. The UK has 67-odd mio people, so by mid May I would expect most people who WANT a vaccine to have gotten one...


My father's already had his first dose, and his partner/carer is scheduled for it in the next week.

So short answer - yes, I will be going to the UK for a vaccine (but won't be waiting for the second dose, as they are doing 12 weeks between doses rather than 3); so it will mean two trips...

EDIT:

If the vaccination centre is the place you are self isolating before returning to the airport by public transport then yes.

That's just 1 connection on the statutory residents test, there will also be an accommodation tie even if it's a hotel.

Actually travelling to the UK is the dangerous part. That's when your going to come across people from all over the planet, many parts of which have a very serious covid-19 crisis going on, at least a lot more serious then Switzerland.

I would suggest you stay here and don't travel at all. The less people moving around the more lightly the lockdown measures will actually work. Its not just you, its all the other people you will infect when you pick it up.

And catching covid-19 now that a vaccine is actually being distributed might turn out to be the worst thing that has ever happened to you, really. Covid-19 can leave you with life changing disabilities. Maybe not too serious, but s* imagine the rest of your life not being able to smell, taste or constantly feeling drained.

You got a really good reason to return to the UK go. You just feel like a change, look out the f* window for an hour.

It is the case for Scotland.

https://www.gov.scot/news/quarantine-hotels/

Lockdown measures are just a way to flatten the curve - to buy time. Without a vaccine, we can wait until we are all old and retired, and will still be in a cycle of lockdown, restrictions and mess. Every time restrictions are lifted, the virus will spread again, and we will go back into lockdown.

The lockdown alone will never allow us to return to normality.

Simple answer: NO. The more I read this title, the more it makes me shake my head in disbelief, and actually angry.

Why so?

Why not? I pay taxes in the UK, and currently travel for work anyhow (though lately I've stayed away from the UK due to the COVID mess). Why wouldn't I get vaccinated there?

Also - the list of people who are currently except from quarantine is pretty large:

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...k-border-rules

Many folk are of the view we should do everything we can to stop the spread and that means avoiding unnecessary travel. That's not an unreasonable view.
If you have to travel to the UK anyway then I think that's a special situation.

I don't travel at the moment to the UK because it's not essential travel. By the time the vaccine is available to younger age groups in the UK I would suspect that travelling there will have fewer restrictions.

It should go without saying that even if you go to the UK you're not going to jump the queue when it comes to priority groups (however some areas are faster with completing the groups than others so it can be the case that some people is a lower priority group get the vaccine while other people elsewhere in a higher priority group are still waiting)

I wouldn’t do it because personally I wouldn’t feel right doing it.

It’s unnecessary travel, I don’t pay UK taxes and I am a Swiss resident to name just a few of the reasons why.


It’s moot anyway though since I’ve already had both doses of the vaccine.

I would be travelling in the summer if I were to go, not now (for holiday, not specifically for vaccination).

No

If I were to drop dead tomorrow, the UK would regard me as being UK domiciled and be issuing an inheritance tax demand, despite me living and working here https://assets.publishing.service.go...illable-v2.pdf. For that reason alone, I feel absolutely no guilt in taking a vaccine at the back of the queue. I probably won't actually do so in reality but I wouldn't have a problem doing so.

I suspect Switzerland has an ace up their sleeve with regards getting hold of vaccine and all the above is moot.

Same applies to me with UK domicile, not lived in the UK for over 26 years.

Because of being split over two different locations?

We are 100% non domiciled in the UK so that doesn’t apply to us.

After leaving CH, my domicile of choice obtained by living in CH for 20 years was lost & automatically revert to domicile of origin. It does have the advantage that I can be classed as a non dom in Malta & pay tax on remittance basis rather than worldwide income. There is a min payment of 5K to take this option if a single person or a couple have foreign earnings above €35k. This is a new rule that came in after my marriage. UK Dividends don't have a tax credit so in effect my wife's UK earnings are in effect taxed twice. Holding 'UK assets' is another issue with regard to domicile, originally I sold all property & totally cut off ties with the UK & did not step foot in the country for over 1000 days.
It takes about 20 years after leaving the UK for someone born with UK Domicile after settling in a new country, it's the UK / US definition & has nothing to do with where you live which catches out most people.

because we are not supposed to travel at the moment- simple as that. We are actually entitled to use the NHS, and due to age and all sorts of other reasons- it would be very easy to get vaccinated there. But to travel there, for the purpose of being vaccinated- just NO. If and when we do go, it will be to hug our daughters and grandchildren at last- not seen since last February.

We left the UK over 30 years ago, it really isn’t an issue for us.