Cheap corona test for travelling

[zoeker2]

I'll be travelling at the end of the month to my home country through Germany and I just got to know that even transit passengers are required to provide a negative corona test before being allowed on board.

What I intend to do is to book a trip to Tallinn for a day (costs 31 euro) and to have a test done on my return to Helsinki on the ferry. A day and a half later I'd use that same test at the airport. The test costs 39 euro so the total would amount to 70 euro.

I suppose this sounds like an overkill, but on the other hand, getting charged 200 euro for a test without any good reason feels rather... mono/oligopolistic.

Germany has the test requirements un 12.5.2021 (https://www.bundesgesundheitsministeriu ... lisch.html) let's see if they extend this, but most probably not. They will use areas, Finland is on green side.

Oh, thanks for that information! I've failed to notice it! So, let's see what will happen. I certainly hope that they lift some of the restrictions.

[ajdias]

Was just reading this OP in Helsinki Times where the author argues, somewhat hyperbolically, that commercial covid-19 tests are basically legalized robberies. I tend to agree, even if he could have saved almost half, there's no reason for tests to cost more than 80 or 90 eur (they're 30-60 eur in other european countries), these labs are just printing money.

Any cheap corona test in Finland. Planning to take a trip to France. Anyone can recommend any cheap test and certificate?

If you have symptoms the test is free. If you reside in HUS area the certificate is free, as well, and valid for travel (YLE news).

[NukkuMatti]

It might be useless info but I found the following :

When you fill in the corona symptoms checker, just check that you have pain in your throat and a running nose or something, (allergy symptoms) and you will get the advice to book a test appointment...

Go to the online booking to get an appointment for testing and get tested (for free??) and download your result half hour after you receive the SMS with a negative (hopefully) result.
https://koronabotti.hus.fi/en

This can be downloaded in English (HUS area):
https://koronatietoni.fi/en/
please read the notification that an airline might require a signature or stamp on the result... if so... try something else..

Sadly there is no mentioning of any costs involved...but it could be free...

[zoeker2]

Was just reading this OP in Helsinki Times where the author argues, somewhat hyperbolically, that commercial covid-19 tests are basically legalized robberies. I tend to agree, even if he could have saved almost half, there's no reason for tests to cost more than 80 or 90 eur (they're 30-60 eur in other european countries), these labs are just printing money.

Any cheap corona test in Finland. Planning to take a trip to France. Anyone can recommend any cheap test and certificate?

If you have symptoms the test is free. If you reside in HUS area the certificate is free, as well, and valid for travel (YLE news).

And I think the author's right. All of them, Terveystalo, Mehiläinen, Aava, 9lives, etc. have put a price tag of around 160-170 for the test + additional 30-40 euro "service and referral" fees. There are no small players on the market able to offer cheaper services. Why is that? Also, doesn't matter whether PCR or antigen, price is pretty much the same. There's something rotten in the whole story and I wonder whether it shouldn't be digged deeper into.

[tavastia]

Prices in Finland for these tests are just absurd. 190€ for an antigen test at airport and in Frankfurt is 29£ https://www.centogene.com/covid-19/test ... rport.html Test itself costs in Germany 4-5€ in pharmacy, 25€ service for making the test and working 1 min is ok I think....

This is a combination of multiple factors: small market, big players which for sure they have arranged the prices in cartel style.

Good thing is you can make it for free if you live in HUS area.

[ajdias]

This is a combination of multiple factors: small market, big players which for sure they have arranged the prices in cartel style.

To be fair, Kela too deserves its fair share of the blame.If you've got a referral from the public healthcare Kela covers some 110 eur (or used to cover something around that) and customers had to pay the remaining - 60 eur. So it would not make much sense to charge less than 150 eur because you know, Kela.
There's no reason other than greed to charge 300, but the first half is on Kela.
Maybe one year ago testing was expensive, but now a test costs probably 10 or 20 eur, if not less.

Sadly there is no mentioning of any costs involved...but it could be free...

If you have done a test in HUS and are registered as a resident you can just log to the website and see it for yourself: the site has a certificate of your last test, all that is needed is input your ID/passport and print. Of course, a weeks or months old cert is prob good for nothing.

I know of someone who travelled through DE using only the sms's. It took some negotiation at Check-In (and luck), but went through.

[zoeker2]

Good thing is you can make it for free if you live in HUS area.

Yes, but for that I would need to lie on purpose and I don't feel comfortable with that. Because you can't just go to HUS and say "I'll be travelling in a couple of days, I'd like to get a test done because it's required." Instead, you would need to say "I have a sore throat and I don't feel well."

[Oombongo]

Good thing is you can make it for free if you live in HUS area.

Yes, but for that I would need to lie on purpose and I don't feel comfortable with that. Because you can't just go to HUS and say "I'll be travelling in a couple of days, I'd like to get a test done because it's required." Instead, you would need to say "I have a sore throat and I don't feel well."

[zoeker2]

Looks like Germany is going to return to normal according to the cabinet decision from today:

§ 14

Inkrafttreten, Außerkrafttreten

(1) Diese Verordnung tritt am 13. Mai 2021 in Kraft; sie tritt mit der Aufhebung der Feststellung der epidemischen Lage von nationaler Tragweite durch den Deutschen Bundestag nach § 5 Absatz 1 Satz 2 des Infektionsschutzgesetzes außer Kraft.

(2) Die Coronavirus-Einreiseverordnung vom 13. Januar 2021 (BAnz AT 13.01.2021 V1), die zuletzt durch Artikel 10 Absatz 5 des Gesetzes vom 29. März 2021 (BGBl. I S. 370) geändert worden ist, tritt mit Ablauf des 12. Mai 2021 außer Kraft.

[berts112]

I'll be travelling at the end of the month to my home country through Germany and I just got to know that even transit passengers are required to provide a negative corona test before being allowed on board.

What I intend to do is to book a trip to Tallinn for a day (costs 31 euro) and to have a test done on my return to Helsinki on the ferry. A day and a half later I'd use that same test at the airport. The test costs 39 euro so the total would amount to 70 euro.

I suppose this sounds like an overkill, but on the other hand, getting charged 200 euro for a test without any good reason feels rather... mono/oligopolistic.

Hey, Zoeker!

How has it worked for you? Have you done what you planned to do by going to Tallinn? Sounds pretty smart to do it. I would do the same if you were lucky to get it done successfully that way.

Let me know.

Cheers!

[zoeker2]

I'll be travelling at the end of the month to my home country through Germany and I just got to know that even transit passengers are required to provide a negative corona test before being allowed on board.

What I intend to do is to book a trip to Tallinn for a day (costs 31 euro) and to have a test done on my return to Helsinki on the ferry. A day and a half later I'd use that same test at the airport. The test costs 39 euro so the total would amount to 70 euro.

I suppose this sounds like an overkill, but on the other hand, getting charged 200 euro for a test without any good reason feels rather... mono/oligopolistic.

Hey, Zoeker!

How has it worked for you? Have you done what you planned to do by going to Tallinn? Sounds pretty smart to do it. I would do the same if you were lucky to get it done successfully that way.

Let me know.

Cheers!

Hi, no, I decided to go for the ”I have symptoms” game with HUS. One Finnish friend saw nothing wrong with the approach considering the high cost otherwise, another one said they’ve already done it once.

[NukkuMatti]

Hi, no, I decided to go for the ”I have symptoms” game with HUS. One Finnish friend saw nothing wrong with the approach considering the high cost otherwise, another one said they’ve already done it once.

The system allows it, so why not..
I guess it is the logical result of the system playing you by charging prices that are way more than the normal rate in other (EU) countries, in the knowledge that you cannot escape the fact of having the test done.
So then it is no more than logical, to play the system yourself in your advantage instead...

I seriously wonder why anyone would still go for the 300€ version....maybe too much money, or wanting to support the holiday and gold watch of the CEO / shareholders of the private clinics??

I would rather spend that 300€ on local shops in my neighborhood instead, that way supporting the local economy.

[heretostay]

Not everyone is lucky enough to live in HUS service area. In my area, we only get text message that can’t be used for travel so I have to give money to Terveystalo if I want to travel.

[NukkuMatti]

Not everyone is lucky enough to live in HUS service area. In my area, we only get text message that can’t be used for travel so I have to give money to Terveystalo if I want to travel.

That sucks!!

Would the sote change bring a solution to that or would that only make the differences bigger between each "care area" in Finland?

[Maaria]

What I intend to do is to book a trip to Tallinn for a day (costs 31 euro) and to have a test done on my return to Helsinki on the ferry. A day and a half later I'd use that same test at the airport. The test costs 39 euro so the total would amount to 70 euro.

I suppose this sounds like an overkill, but on the other hand, getting charged 200 euro for a test without any good reason feels rather... mono/oligopolistic.

Do you know where to take this 39€ test in Tallin? How quickly you can get the result?

Thanks.