Guidance

Travel to England from another country during coronavirus (COVID-19)

Check what COVID-19 tests you need to take and the quarantine rules for travel to England.

From:
Department for Transport
Published
22 June 2021
Last updated
1522 October 2021 — See all updates

Applies to England

This page tells you what you must do before you travel to England and after you arrive.

What you must do depends on whether you qualify as fully vaccinated under the rules for travel to England.

There are different rules if you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England. Red list rules apply whether you are fully vaccinated or not.

If you are fully vaccinated

This is what you need to do if you qualify under the fully vaccinated rules for travel to England.

Before you travel to England – fully vaccinated

Before you travel to England you must:

From 24 October you can use either a lateral flow test or a PCR test. You can book these from 22 October.

You will need to enter your COVID-19 test booking reference number on your passenger locator form.

FromIf 22 October you will be ablein toEngland bookfor anless antigenthan lateral2 flowdays deviceyou (LFD)still testneed insteadto ofbook aand PCRpay for youra ‘onday arrival’2 COVID-19 test.

When you arrive in England – fully vaccinated

After you arrive in England you must take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2. The day you arrive is day 0.

You must book this test before you travel.

If the test result is positive – lateral flow test

If you willbooked bea inlateral Englandflow test and the result is positive, you must take a PCR test to confirm the result. You must self-isolate until you get the result of the PCR test.

If the PCR test result is positive, you must self-isolate for less10 thanfull 2days. daysThe day you stilltook needthe lateral flow test is day 0. Members of your household may also be asked to bookself-isolate.

If the test result is positive – PCR test

If you booked a PCR test and paythe result is positive, you must self-isolate for a10 full days. The day 2of COVID-19the test.test is day 0. Members of your household may also be asked to self-isolate.

Check if you qualify as fully vaccinated

Fully vaccinated means that you have had a complete course of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in England. The day you had your final dose does not count as one of the 14 days.

The vaccine must be administered under either:

  • the UK vaccination programme
  • an overseas vaccination programme with an approved proof of vaccination for travel to the UK

Check which vaccines are approved and the list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination.

Even if you are not fully vaccinated, the fully vaccinated rules apply if you:you are:

  • are under 18 and resident in the UK or onea ofcountry the countries or territoriesterritory withwhich has approved proof of vaccination
  • are taking part in an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial in the UK or the USA (US residents only for USA trials)
  • cannotunable to have a COVID-19 vaccination for a medical reason which has been approved by a clinician under the new medical exemptions process, and you are resident in England

Read about applying for a medical exemption from vaccination using the NHS COVID Pass if you live in England.

Proving your vaccination status

If you are fully vaccinated under the UK vaccination programme, you can prove your vaccination status using either:

Paper certificates are also available.

There are different ways to prove your vaccination status if you were vaccinated outside of the UK.

Check what proof is required for the country or territory where you were vaccinated.

If you cannot prove that you qualify under the fully vaccinated rules, you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated.

Red list countries

There are different rules if you have been in a red list country in the 10 days before you arrive in England.

Check which countries and territories are on the red list and read the red list rules.

If you are not fully vaccinated

This is what you need to do if you do not qualify under the fully vaccinated rules for travel to England.

Check this section of this guidance to see if you qualify as fully vaccinated.

Before you travel to England – not fully vaccinated

Before you travel to England you must:

Read more about taking a COVID-19 test before you travel to England.

When you arrive in England – not fully vaccinated

After you arrive in England you must:

You must take the first test on or before day 2 and the second test on or after day 88. –The day you mustarrive bookis theseday tests0. beforeIf your day 2 test is positive you travel do not have to take a day 8 test.

If you are in England for less than 10 days, you need to quarantine for the time you are here. You need to book day 2 and day 8 travelPCR tests. You only need to take the tests if you are still in England on those days.

If the test result is positive

If you test positive on your day 2 or day 8 test, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day you took the test is day 0.

Members of your household may also be asked to self-isolate.

Test to Release scheme

If you need to quarantine, you may be able to end quarantine early if you pay for a private COVID-19 test through the Test to Release scheme.

Red list countries

There are different rules if you have been in a red list country in the 10 days before you arrive in England.

Check which countries and territories are on the red list and read the red list rules.

Travelling with children

The rules for children depend on age and country of residence.

Children resident in the UK or in a country with an approved proof of vaccination

Children of all ages who are resident in the UK, or in a country with an approved proof of vaccination, do not have to quarantine on arrival in England. This applies whether the child is vaccinated or not.

If they are aged 4 and under they do not have to take any COVID-19 travel tests.

5 to 17 year olds:

  • do not have to take a COVID-19 test before travel to England
  • must take a test on or before day 2 – arrival day is day 0

Check the list of countries and territories with approved proof of vaccination.

Children resident in other countries

Children aged 5 to 17 who are resident in any country that is not on the approved proof of vaccination list must:

  • take a COVID-19 test (if aged 11 or above) before travelling to England
  • take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 in England – arrival day is day 0
  • take a COVID-19 test on or after day 8 in England – arrival day is day 0
  • quarantine at home or in the place they’re staying for 10 full days, or for the duration of their stay if it’s less than 10 days

Children aged 4 or under from these other countries do not have to take travel tests.

They must follow quarantine rules. Test to release is an option to reduce the quarantine period

Medical and work-related exemptions

Some people cannot be fully vaccinated for medical reasons.

Read more about medical exemptions from vaccination.

There are also medical exemptions from:

Some people are exempt from some or all of the requirements because of the job they do.

Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

If you’re travelling to England from within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you do not need to:

  • complete a passenger locator form
  • take any COVID-19 tests
  • quarantine on arrival in England

You must not have been outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man in the 10 days before you arrive in England.

Red list countries and territories

There are different rules if you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England. If you need to follow red list rules, you must do so if you are fully vaccinated or not.

Check which countries and territories are on the red list and read the red list rules.

Travel abroad from England

Read guidance about what you need to do to travel abroad from England.

Published 22 June 2021
Last updated 1522 October 2021 + show all updates

  1. People who qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England can book a lateral flow test for use from 24 October instead of a PCR test.

  2. From 22 October, if you qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England, you will be able to book an antigen lateral flow device (LFD) test instead of a PCR for your ‘on arrival’ test.

  3. Rule changes for international travel to England for people who qualify as fully vaccinated.

  4. Changes to amber list rules on quarantine and testing.

  5. First published.

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