Check the latest guidance and travel advice from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs at https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/.  If beginning your journey from Northern Ireland, you can check the entry requirements for your destination online at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. The EU have introduced a traffic light system that requires pre-flight testing for individuals departing from several countries. You can view the latest travel restrictions online at https://reopen.europa.eu/en. Due to the constantly changing global environment entry requirements are subject to change, so keep checking in the weeks and days leading up to your trip.

Yes, you will be prompted when making your booking to answer wether you require an EU Digital Covid Certificate. Please select Yes if you require a EU Digital Covid Certificate for testing.  Please note this is not the same as an EU Digital Covid Certificate for vaccination.

Randox offer the following types of tests to detect the COVID-19 virus:

PCR Testing – with an accuracy of 99%, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is a nucleic acid test which can tell you if you currently have the infection. Our gold standard PCR methodology is the most accurate test for detecting the virus.

Antigen Testing – is the fastest and cheapest COVID-19 test with results guaranteed within 1 hour of testing. Antigen tests (sometimes called a ‘lateral flow test’) will reveal if a person is currently infected with a pathogen such as the COVID-19 virus. Antigen tests often become positive after having had symptoms for a couple of days.

Antibody Testing – The Randox antibody test is a unique test which can detect 3 types of antibodies.  It will indicate if a person has had a past or recent SARS-CoV-2 infection, differentiate people who have only been vaccinated and will determine if a person has developed neutralising protective antibodies with the capacity to fight off future SARS-CoV-2 infection. This test does not determine if you have a current infection and isn’t commonly used for travel.

Your covid sample will be collected by one of our trained healthcare professionals onsite.  The swabbing process should take no more than 5 minutes for Covid Testing and 15 minutes for Antibody testing.

We can not advise on when to take the test due to ever changing government regulations.  We recommend you check with the relevant government website.

We recommend you check with the relevant government website at your destination if a test is required for minors.  The requirements vary between countries.  We can provide testing for minors if required as long as a parent or guardian is present.

To obtain an Antibody test, you must be over 18.

On the day of your appointment, please present yourself to your chosen Randox Health Travel Centre no more than 5 minutes before your appointment time. You must provide confirmation of your booking, photographic ID (a passport if travelling), mask, order confirmation and order reference number (shown on your payment receipt).

Food or drink should not be consumed in the 30 minutes prior to collecting your swab sample.

Once processed, your results will be emailed directly to the email address that was provided when registering in the form of a downloadable PDF.

If your covid test is for travel purposes, please ensure you include your passport number at the time of registering.

Following receipt of your sample, we will make every reasonable endeavour to provide your test results within a reasonable timeframe following our laboratory receiving your sample.  Next day PCR Results will be confirmed via email next day after your appointment (up to 11.59pm).  Delivery dates for test results are approximate and Randox will not be held liable for any delay in delivery, particularly in light of global shortages in raw materials and the unprecedented level of demand for our services in the current challenging circumstance, as well as subject to further terms in this agreement. It is important to note that we are dealing with sensitive biological samples, which in rare circumstances may require secondary testing. Randox will not release a result until a thorough review has been carried out and we are satisfied with the deliverable result. This is in line with good laboratory practice.

Please check your spam folder.  If using a work or university email, please check your server hasn’t restricted our emails as your results will have an attachment.

If you haven’t received your results by 11.59pm the day after your appointment you can phone our dedicated customer support team with your URN number on +44 2894 343005 before 9pm Mon-Friday and 5.30pm Saturday-Sunday.

On occasion the testing process can return an unclear result. This is exceptionally uncommon.  Please contact our customer care team on +44 2894 343005 should you require any further information on your unclear result.

Reschedule / Amending Appointments

You are provided log in details when you make an appointment. Please log into the “my account” section of the website

Once logged in, go to ‘My Appointments’ to view and reschedule your booking/bookings. Please note you can only change the date and time of your appointment but not the location. You cannot amend the original type of appointment booked for another type. For Example, if you have booked for an Express PCR test, you cannot amend this to an Antigen test.

Please be aware as per our Terms and conditions, appointments cannot be changed or cancelled if within 24hrs of the original appointment date & time.

Appointments, if not attended, can be cancelled with a refund issued. We would request as a courtesy that customers contact us 24hrs ahead of original appointment date/ time regarding any rescheduling requests. Please go HERE (link to here: https://covid.randox.com/contact-us/) and complete the information as requested

Antibody Testing – The Randox antibody test is a unique test which can detect 3 types of antibodies.  It will indicate if a person has had a past or recent SARS-CoV-2 infection, differentiate people who have only been vaccinated and will determine if a person has developed neutralising protective antibodies with the capacity to fight off future SARS-CoV-2 infection. This test does not determine if you have a current infection.

Antibody tests are not commonly used for travel at this moment.  Check with your relevant destination as to whether antibody tests are accepted.  More information can be found on  https://www.dfa.ie/travel/travel-advice/.

If you are testing for antibodies after a vaccine, you should wait at least 14 days after your first or second dose. No vaccine or antibody test is 100% effective. There is a small chance you’ll test negative even after a vaccine.

If you test positive for antibodies it means that there were COVID-19 antibodies in your blood sample. This means your body has produced an immune response to COVID-19, either from having had the virus or a COVID-19 vaccine. The test does not determine if you have a current Covid-19 infection.

Yes, please ensure you drink at least 2 large glasses of water 30 minutes prior to collecting your sample. Do not partake in any strenuous exercise or physical activity in the 30mins before your appointment.