Covid Regulations for Zakopane, Poland

Zakopane Covid Regulations

At the Snomads HQ, we’ve been busy planning a great ski season in 2021/2022! There has been an improvement in anti-pandemic measures as the number of vaccinated people continues to increase. Although the COVID-19 situation can rapidly change at the local level, you can be confident that your Snomads booking is risk-free. We’re prepared to offer full refunds if traveling to and from your country is made impossible, find our full policy below. However, we’re expecting to have a relatively trouble-free season ahead of us.

Important updates

POLAND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS UPDATED 28th MARCH 2022

From 28 March, the obligation to undergo quarantine on arrival in Poland has been lifted. There is also no longer a requirement to demonstrate your vaccination status on arrival.

From 28 March, a pre-departure test is no longer required for travellers arriving from non-Schengen countries, which includes the UK.

UK ENTRY REQUIREMENTS UPDATED 18th MARCH 2022

You do not need to take any COVID-19 tests or fill in a passenger locator form. This applies whether you are fully vaccinated or not.

UK ENTRY REQUIREMENTS UPDATED 6th JANUARY 2022

If you qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England, and you will arrive in England after 4am, Friday 7 January, you do not need to:

  • take a COVID-19 test before you travel to England
  • quarantine when you arrive in England

If you qualify as fully vaccinated and you will arrive in England after 4am, Sunday 9 January, you can choose to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR test after you arrive in England.

If you take a lateral flow test and test positive, you will need to self-isolate and take a free confirmatory PCR test.

You must book the test before you travel to England. You can book lateral flow tests from 4am Friday 7 January.

You cannot use a lateral flow test until after 4am, Sunday 9 January. Before 4am Sunday 9 January, you must use a PCR test after arrival.

The fully vaccinated rules also apply to children aged 17 and under, people taking part in an approved vaccine trial, and people who are unable to have a vaccination due to medical reasons.

POLAND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS UPDATED 21st DECEMBER 2021

Individuals 5 years and older, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, travelling from non-Schengen countries (including the UK) must present evidence on arrival of a negative pre-departure test (PCR or antigen/lateral flow), taken no earlier than 24 hours before departure. The test result must be in English or Polish.

POLAND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS UPDATED 15th DECEMBER 2021

From 15 December, all individuals 12 years and older, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, travelling from non-Schengen countries (including the UK) must present evidence on arrival of a negative pre-departure test (PCR or antigen/lateral flow), taken no earlier than 24 hours before departure. The test result must be in English or Polish. Passengers who do not have a negative pre-departure test result will be able to take a test at the airport on arrival in Poland.

COVID situation in Poland – is it safe?

No country is completely safe from COVID-19. At the time of writing Poland’s case numbers are going down, following the third wave of infections. There have been almost 21 million doses of vaccines administered. That amounts to 54% of the total population being vaccinated. However, anti-pandemic measures are still taken very seriously. Masks are mandatory inside public buildings and on public transport.

COVID entry requirements for Poland for travellers from the UK

UK nationals, their spouses, and children are included in the list of those who are exempt from entry restrictions related to COVID-19, found on the Polish Border Guards website (in English). If you fly to Poland from abroad you must fill in a passenger locator form.

If you are fully vaccinated with a vaccination approved for use in the EU, you are exempt from quarantine on arrival in Poland but must present evidence of your COVID-19 vaccination at the border and 14 days must have passed since your final dose. ‘Fully vaccinated’ is understood as the administration of two doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Moderna or one dose of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine.

Poland will accept the UK’s proof of COVID-19 recovery and vaccination record (NHS App digital version or printed version both valid). If you are traveling with printed proof of vaccination status, it must be dated from 1 November to ensure that the certificate can be scanned successfully. Your NHS appointment card from vaccination centers is NOT designed to be used as proof of vaccination and should NOT be used to demonstrate your vaccine status.

Zakopane Chair Lift

Travelling to the UK from Poland

UK REQUIREMENTS

The new UK requirements from December 2021 can seem a little daunting but we’ve done our best to simplify what you need to do.

From Tuesday morning 6th December 2021, anyone wishing to travel/return to the UK from Poland must show proof of a negative rapid lateral flow tests (antigen) pre-departure test, taken up to 48 hours before travel. This can be done at Krakow airport on the day of your departure from Poland with a quick result. At the time of writing the price for this is 165PLN (around £30). You can find the 24-hour test center in the P2 car park right next to the terminal.

If you would like the extra peace of mind of getting a test before you arrive at the airport or if you require a PCR test to gain entry into your country of origin, they are easily available a 5-minute drive from Chalet Stardust in Zakopane center with Diagnostyka clinic (Check link for up to date prices)

The pre-departure test is required for all travelers aged 12 and above, regardless of their vaccination status.

Additionally, before returning to England (Scotland, Wales, and NI might have slightly different rules) you must book a COVID-19 test (PCR) to be taken as soon as you get home or by the end of day 2 after your return at the latest. This can be booked from one of these providers. You need to isolate until receipt of a negative result test, typically less than 24hours from taking the test. A passenger locator form will also need completing in 48 hours prior to your UK arrival. This form will require your COVID-19 PCR test reference code in order to complete it. You can find the form here.

Consider Covid Insurance

  • Apart from travel restrictions, there is a risk you may not be able to travel due to contracting Covid, or if a member of your household falls ill. Which? has produced an in-depth guide for UK nationals to Covid insurance. And of course, remember to bring your EHIC/GHIC

Snomads COVID Policy

The safety of our guests and staff is our number one priority so our chalets and vehicles will be subject to the local Covid-19 regulations of the destination country, which may differ from that of the UK. We understand that the current situation may be unsettling and we would like to reassure and remind you of the extra measures we’ve put in place to keep you and your money safe.

In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, we want all guests to be able to book with confidence and have therefore introduced the simple policy below in addition to our usual terms and conditions, a copy of which will be provided upon request. The policy applies to all stays in Chalet Diana-Ross, Chalet Supreme, Chalet Prince, and Chalet Stardust only.

You will have the option to either defer your stay or request a full refund if:

  • The UK FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) advise against all but essential travel to your chalet destination country;
  • Authorities in the country of the chalet impose travel restrictions which affect the ability to reach the chalet or the borders are closed to UK arrivals;
  • The UK Government impose travel restrictions which require you to quarantine in a hotel on your return;
  • Authorities in the country of the chalet impose a period of quarantine on arrival and there isn’t the option to forgo this quarantine period by providing evidence of a negative COVID-19 test or of being fully vaccinated.  

You’ll be able to defer your stay if:

  • After you’ve booked, the UK Government changes the rules for the destination you’re travelling to, meaning you’ll need to quarantine at home on your return to the UK.
  • You’re unable to travel due to new testing or vaccination requirements or if you’ve been asked to self-isolate upon your return or if the area you live in goes into local lockdown when you’re due to travel and these requirements/restrictions were introduced after you booked.

Any other reasons will not be considered a valid reason and our standard cancellation terms will apply. These cancellation terms are valid up until the day before arrival. 

Guests are strongly advised to check their insurance policies prior to booking.

Where to find officially sourced information?

Our team will try to keep you updated through our blog & social media channels for any new COVID-19 measures for Zakopane and Poland. For those who’d like to be more proactive, you can check the websites of the UK government, Reuters, the Polish informational portal, and the European Information Portal.

Details and information on this page are correct at the time of publish but we recommend checking gov.uk regularly for the most up-to-date information and we will not be bound by information that is provided in this blog on a goodwill basis.

Stay safe until next season, see you on the hill!

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