US free test and Europe travel

[saltshell]

Can I use the government free covid test in Europe?  Traveling London to Netherlands and Rome to US. Thanks

[CruiserBruce]

It has to be medically supervised, and taken within 3 days of sailing.

[Shmoo here]

11 minutes ago, saltshell said:

Can I use the government free covid test in Europe?  Traveling London to Netherlands and Rome to US. Thanks

As noted, you need an actual printout of the results. Including for returning to the US.

[FOPMan]

The tests that were/are available by mail for free through the US Postal Service are not observed tests, which is usually a requirement  for tests for travel,

[cruisemom42]

Actually this is not true. Thanks to info posted on this board earlier by @Mary229  I learned that the iHealth tests mailed out upon request CAN be used for this purposes. There is a way to go to the iHealth website and "buy" a time slot to have a proctor observe you taking the test, and if negative they will email you a "fit for travel" certification immediately on completion of the test.

 

Link to purchase verification (test not included):  https://ihealthlabs.com/products/ihealth-verified-covid-test-service.  Note that you need one slot per person being tested. You have to purchase first and then you'll get an email with a link to set up an appt.  YOU MUST HAVE A LAPTOP; cannot do it with a tablet or phone.

 

I know it works because I just used it to return to the US from London following my Celebrity cruise two weeks ago.

 

Now I do understand that at some point the US started mailing out different tests. But if you have the iHealth tests (the ones that look like the photo below) you CAN use them.

 

[Shmoo here]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

the iHealth tests mailed out upon request CAN be used for this purposes.

Quite true.  But I think most of us thought OP was asking about just using it themselves (not proctored).  

[lderochi]

Unfortunately it looks like the service is sold out (not the kit, the actual service). 

[terrydtx]

12 minutes ago, lderochi said:

Unfortunately it looks like the service is sold out (not the kit, the actual service). 

I get the same message, how can the online tests be sold out?

[lderochi]

I guess they just don’t have the manpower, once people started to realize the service even existed. 

[Slush]

We will be using the iHealth tests we received from the Government and have the test proctored with https://rapidtestandtrace.com/ for a fee of $20 each. We will be using our Phones to take the test at our hotel on 5/30 after we arrive for our cruise out of Barcelona on June 1st. I did not have any problems scheduling.

[terrydtx]

7 minutes ago, Slush said:

We will be using the iHealth tests we received from the Government and have the test proctored with https://rapidtestandtrace.com/ for a fee of $20 each. We will be using our Phones to take the test at our hotel on 5/30 after we arrive for our cruise out of Barcelona on June 1st. I did not have any problems scheduling.

Thank you for this information, it looks like they will take the free Government suppled tests or any the FDA approved source.

[daisy-mae]

58 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Thank you for this information, it looks like they will take the free Government suppled tests or any the FDA approved source.

Just a word of caution. I read somewhere on these boards that the test kits may leak if packed in your checked luggage. It might be best to put them in a carry-on (as long as TSA permits).

 

[macaroni]

As long as they are proctored….