Right now in Greece there is a debate about the PCR prices and the conditions in other European countries. In Greece it was 60-120 euros and now the price is 47 euros .
I’ve searched in multiple European media platforms but there are a lot of changes in prices and policies.
So what is the truth about the PCR tests in your country right now ?
ΕΔΙΤ : Thank you all .
I knew that there is huge misinformation by Greek media.
It reminds me the days before the economic collapse.
42 comments
Antigen tests are free.
PCR tests are only free if your phone gives you a contact tracing warning, you have seen somebody who tested positive, your antigen test was positive or you have covid symptoms.
AFAIK PCR tests are only free if you have typical symptoms or had contact to a positive person or if you have a positive rapid test.
Rapid tests are free for everyone.
Yes, but. (English is really missing the word Jein)
Every Bundesland (federal state) has to have it’s own regulations saying who, when and how can get a free PCR test.
In Vienna it’s free for absolutely everyone including tourists and it’s very accessible.
In other states it’s free for residents only.
In other states there is a free testing program but you’d have to drive forever to take a test, especially in rural regions where local test stations may only be open for a few hours a week.
Lateral flow test are free and you can order as many as you want.
PCR tests are also free but you’re supposed to have symptoms or test positive on lateral flow before you book one.
Well, yes, but actually no.
In Czechia if you are vaccinated, you have two free PCR tests per month. If you are not vaccinated but under 18 years of age, have some contraindications, or don’t have your vaccination finished, you have five free PCR tests per month. If none of this is your case, you pay. Maximum price is afaik some 35€.
They both are free if you show symptoms or were in contact with someone who was later tested positive, you have to register through the official website and you will receive a date. If these don’t apply and you need a test because you want to travel or go to a venue the antigen tests cost 5€ And the PCR cost around 50€. For the antigenic test you can book a date but you can just show up, it is mandatory to book the PCR.
PCR tests are free if you have symptoms or have a positive antigen test and antigen tests are free if you are identified as a close contact.
For unvaccinated people to be allowed for most activities and establishments – no.
For testing with compulsory isolation if covid is suspected – yes.
By request without isolation – yes, if you are freshly vaccinated or got a booster.
Schoolchildren are tested (if their parents allow) every few days.
Lateral Flow (Antigen) Tests are free and you can order as many as you want online.
PCR Tests are also free but your supposed to have symptoms (or a positive antigen) to get one, although they don’t check so you could just get one anyway.
Two per month if you’re vaccinated or when doctor sends you.
PCR and Antigen tests are free in France if you’re fully vaccinated, regardless of whether you have symptoms. They charge you if you’re unvaccinated or your vaccination status has lapsed so you don’t use them every 3 days to be able to go to restaurants.
Not in Spain unless you are already so sick you need to be hospitalized and they want to make sure it’s COVID. If you want to take one at will you have to go to a private clinic or lab, and they are quite expensive. Some regions have occasionally offered or forced whole towns to be tested in order to curb a bad outbreak but those are exceptions. The current protocol is that if you suspect you are infected either you go straight to quarantine or you take a pharmacy test first, because public health authorities won’t even look at you unless you are very ill.
PCR tests are free, so are antigen tests if you have to go somewhere with 3G (not really applicable now because everything is closed anyway).
Home antigen tests are free for students and teachers.
In the Netherlands, when you have symptoms or if your obligated to take a test (for example if you’ve been in contact with someone that tested positive) the tests are free. However, these tests do not provide you with a certificate or something like that necessary for traveling. They did suffice when the bars etc. were open if you had proof of vaccination/negative test (right now we’re in a total lockdown again, so they’re not open for anyone). The tests necessary for traveling cost around 50-75 euro’s.
Edit: this was about PCR tests. The home antigen tests you can buy in supermarket unless you can get them through school/university
PCR tests are free if you have symptoms and you can do rapid antigen test in hospital and it costs around 12 – 13 euros.
All tests are free. You’re supposed to only take PCR tests for things where a nasal test is insufficient. For example going to the doctor.
As far as I know you can still book a PCR test without following these rules though.
PCR tests done by the municipality/other state organ are free and available for anyone to book, but on the basis of suspected infection regardless of symptoms. This means that if the reason you’re getting a test is for travel purposes you shall book or drop in for a test at a private clinic, which will normally cost you towards the equivalent of €100.
They are free if you are sent there by your doctor. If you need it to go skiing abroad, you need to pay.
nothing is free here, Hungary.
You can only get one for free, if you have symptoms, and the doctor sends you there.
But at your own will you cant get one
Yes they are free. There are two versions available, a gargle/spit test that you can drop off at most supermarkets and fuel stations and conventional testing stations spread around the country. All are free, Austria mostly dropped antigen tests in favor of widespread PCR testing.
In Latvia PCR test is free if you have doctors note, symptoms or had a positive antigen test. I just had the PCR test because of a positive antigen test, they took my word for it.
Poland it was 420 zloty.. at a private clinic. I’m an international student. But god that was expensive
AFAIK it depends on your autonomous community. Here in Asturias you can book a PCR test for free if you have symptoms, have tested positive on an antigent test or have had contact with a confirmed covid case (but you don’t need to prove it)
Regarding flights then no.
But if you say that you have covid symptoms and get accepted then yes, it’s free. Getting a time slot is another hassle. I tried to book yesterday and there was not a single availablw time slot to get a PCR test. So I just have to assume its covid cause I can’t test for it…
Free if you have symptoms, not free if you need certficate for travel or covid passport.
Test that can are done in a pharmacy are NOT free (the fast ones) and you have to pay up to 35€.
Antigenic tests that are done in the tests points around the country are free but you have to have the prescription from your family doctor. The Family doctor issues the prescription only if you are quarantined because you were in contact with a positive or if you were positive.
Both vaccianitons and pcr tests are free in Turkey (for goverment hospitals). However you cannot do it anytime, need to pass 5 days after your last test. But pcr tests takes some money in private hospitals. I guess its around 300 tl (15 euro)
In Portugal, PCR tests are free if you were a close contact to a positive case or if you have symptoms. In any other case you have to pay for it. The cheaper ones I have seen are about 90 euros
Edit: everyone has 4 rapid antigen tests per month as well. Vaccination status doesn’t matter
It is free if you are vaccinated, if you have symptoms and if you have a recommendation from school
If you just suddenly develop symptoms or something they’re free, yeah.
If you need them for international travel, it costs in the order of £67 (€80.35).
Lateral Flow (antigen) are also free if you’re just in UK but cost £20 (€24) if you need it for international travel purposes.
in austria they are free, and we even have an initiative called ‘alles gurgelt’ where you can take pcr tests at home and send them in, so you have the results super quickly. which makes sense because you need to be tested to do a lot of things, even if you are vaccinated. we also have a lot of ‘test streets’ where you can go or drive through, which are organised well (at least in vienna), and a good selection of rapid home self tests
in norway we also have free tests, but the time for the result can be longer, and you have to schedule the tests first. also go to a place, which is kinda.. hmm.. i feel a bit weird about e.g. having to take public transport to get to a testing centre when i have symptoms, you know? my boss had covid last week and went to a test centre like 5 times in a few days before her test was even positive, and idk how much she accidentaly exposed people to covid like that. not her fault, of cpurse, but still. she at least could walk there, i live no where near a test centre i could reach quickly, especially not when i have sympoms.
directly compared to austria, norway could definitefly profit from trying to implement a better testing system, to motivate more people to get tested, and make it easier to get a test. i know it is difficult in rural areas, but at least in the cities it would be important
In Portugal, we currently have 4 free rapid tests per month. PCR tests become free if we’re sent by our mahltional health system phone line, which they do if they believe there’s enough evidence of risk.
They are free in Scotland, our National Health Service (NHS) pays for it.
If you call the ambulance and say you suspect you have COVID then those are free but if you go to a private clinic then they are about 50€.
Both tests are free here but you have to book in advance, which kindof defeats the purpose of being able to stop the spread of COVID when it takes a week to get an appointment due to the huge amounts of new cases. We use to have 3k tests daily and you would be able to get an appointment from one day to the next, now we are close to 10k tests a day and we just don’t have enough resources to keep up the pace. ‘Private’ tests vary from 20-35 euros for Lateral Flow, and 120 for PCR
Currently they are free if your doctor refereed you or if you were positive on the rapid test. Otherwise you have to pay for it and I believe it’s around €100.
I was in contact with an infected person so I took a rapid test and was positive. I called the number published on the website of my local health clinic to schedule a PCR test, told them I was positive on the rapid test and that was it. No one looked into that any further. They didn’t even want my health card. I did have to ID myself, so they knew it was actually me.
PCR tests are free if they are taken for just seeing if you have covid
If you need a travel certificate, you cannot use this free way and you need to pay
Government offered ones are free – just need to book beforehand.
But since there’s a bit of a wave at the moment, you might have to wait a week or longer, so you can get it done privately for between 35 and 120 euros, depending on where you go.
But previously you’d get tested in 2-3 from booking, it’s jush Omicron is kinda ruining things
A PCR test is free (if your doc or contact tracing create a test booking code)
– When you have symptoms
– When you had a high risk contact
– When you have a positive rapid antigen test
– You need to be admitted in a hospital or need day surgery
– When you move into a carehome
– When you return from a risk country
A test is not free when:
– it’s a pretravel test to leave the country
– it’s a test to get a covidsafe ticket (so you’re unvaccinated and want to attend an event)
– it’s any other non-symptomatic; non risk contact test.
– You can “buy” a test for whatever reason
In those cases you will pay about €48 yourselves. Otherwise the mandatory insurances wil pay for it.
Two PCR and two Antigen tests per month per person are free. Then you pay but the price is very low.
PCR are free with symptoms, but you can just say that you have them and no evidence is needed. But those test won’t be translated to English (so can’t be used for travel).
Usual price for PCR 35 EUR. When I was traveling and needed one to return home, I was showed that in other EU countries it can be 80-200 EUR.
In Poland PCR tests are basically free. You have to complete a quick survey (which you can abuse af) and generate invitation. The downside is that the test qualification = quarantine until you have results. So this balances things a bit.