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.
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:
- book and pay for a COVID-19 test – to be taken before the end of day 2 in England
- complete a passenger locator form – to be completed in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
FromYou 24 October you can usechoose 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.
If you will be in England for less than 2 days you still need to book and pay for a day 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 booked a lateral flow 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 10 full days. The day you took the lateral flow test is day 0. Members of your household may also be asked to self-isolate.
If the test result is positive – PCR test
If you booked a PCR test and the result is positive, you must self-isolate for 10 full days. The day of the test is day 0. Members of your household may also be asked to self-isolate.
Check if you qualify as fully vaccinated
FullyTo qualify under the fully vaccinated meansrules thatfor travel to England, you must have hadproof of full vaccination with a completefull course of an approved vaccine.
You must have had your final dose of the 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 vaccineproof of vaccination must behave administeredbeen underissued by 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 are:
- under 18 and resident in the UK or a country or territory which has approved proof of vaccination
- taking part in an approved COVID-19 vaccine trial in the UK or the USA (US residents only for USA trials)
- unable to have a COVID-19 vaccination for a medical reason which has been approved by a clinician under the medical exemptions process, and you are resident in England
Proving your vaccination status
If you are fully vaccinated under the UK vaccination programme, you can prove your vaccination status using either:
- NHS COVID Pass for England and Wales
- NHS Scotland COVID Status app
- COVIDCert NI in Northern Ireland
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:
- take a COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 3 days before you travel to England
- book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 PCR tests – to be taken after arrival in England
- complete a passenger locator form – to be completed in the 48 hours before you arrive in England
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:
- quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 full days
- take your COVID-19 PCR tests – you must book these tests before you travel
You must take the first test on or before day 2 and the second test on or after day 8. The day you arrive is day 0. If your day 2 test is positive you 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 PCR 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
From 4am Monday 22 November 2021, the rules for children will no longer depend on their place of residence. The rules that currently apply to children resident in the UK or in a country with an approved proof of vaccination
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Children resident in the UK, or in a country with an approved proof of vaccination,vaccination
From 4am Monday 22 November 2021, the rules for children will no longer depend on their place of residence. The rules that currently apply to children resident in the UK or in a country with an approved proof of vaccination
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Children aged 17 and under do not have to quarantine on arrival in England. ThisEngland appliesif whetherthey are either:
- resident in the
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orundernot.the UK overseas vaccination programme
IfThis applies whether they are vaccinated or not.
Children 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 PCR test on or before day 2 in England – arrival day is day 0
- take a COVID-19 PCR 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 periodperiod.
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
YouThis mustonly notapplies if you have not been outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man in the 10 days before the day you arrive in England. If you have, you must follow the international travel rules in the place where you arrive.
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.
Last updated
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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.
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First published.
Update history
2023-04-05 00:15
You do not need to take any COVID-19 tests to travel to England from mainland China.
2023-03-17 14:00
Updated rules for people travelling from mainland China announced.
2023-01-05 11:13
New rules for travel from China come into force today.
2023-01-03 22:06
More information about COVID-19 testing requirements for travel from mainland China to England.
2022-12-30 22:04
From 5 January, people flying from mainland China to England will be asked to take a COVID-19 pre-departure test.
2022-03-18 04:00
When you arrive in England from abroad you do not need to take any COVID-19 tests or fill in a UK passenger locator form.
2022-03-14 18:19
If you will arrive in England after 4am, Friday 18 March, you do not need to take any COVID-19 tests or fill in a UK passenger locator form.
2022-03-05 19:41
If you began your journey in Russia, you do not need to complete a passenger locator form, or take a COVID-19 test before travel to England or on arrival.
2022-03-02 18:07
If you began your journey in Ukraine, you do not need to complete a passenger locator form, or take a COVID-19 test before travel to England or on arrival.
2022-02-28 09:00
From 9am Monday 28 February, you can fill in the UK passenger locator form up to 3 days before you arrive in England.
2022-02-24 00:15
From 24 February, there is no legal requirement to self-isolate if you get a positive day 2 test result.
2022-02-11 04:00
You do not need to take any COVID-19 travel tests or self-isolate on arrival in England if you qualify as fully vaccinated.
2022-01-24 18:04
2022-01-09 04:00
You can now choose a lateral flow test or a PCR test as your post arrival test.
2022-01-07 04:00
From 4am 7 January you do not have to quarantine on arrival in England if you qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England.
2022-01-05 17:49
Changes to rules for fully vaccinated people travelling to England from 4am 7 January 2022.
2021-12-24 14:00
People who qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England can now end self-isolation after 7 days with 2 negative lateral flow tests.
2021-12-20 15:09
Further information about quarantine rules for children aged 4 and under.
2021-12-07 04:00
People aged 12 years and over must COVID-19 test before they travel to England from abroad.
2021-12-04 20:24
From 4am, Tuesday 7 December all people aged 12 years and over must also take a PCR or LFD COVID-19 test before they travel to England from abroad.
2021-11-30 04:00
People who qualify as fully vaccinated must quarantine and take a PCR test before the end of day 2 after they arrive in England. Lateral flow tests will not be accepted.
2021-11-28 16:51
From 4am 30 November 2021, fully vaccinated people must self-isolate and take a PCR test before the end of day 2 after they arrive in England. They may leave self-isolation if their PCR result is negative. Lateral flow tests will not be accepted.
2021-11-25 23:02
South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe will move onto the red list at 12.00 midday Friday 26 November. A temporary flight ban will be in place and all travellers who have been in these countries must quarantine and take tests.
2021-11-22 04:00
Travel to England rules for children no longer depend on their place of residence.
2021-11-18 17:03
Clarification about unclear or inconclusive test results.
2021-11-08 17:02
From 4am 22 November 2021, all children aged 17 and under will not have to quarantine on arrival in England.
2021-10-22 04:00
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.
2021-10-15 15:49
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.
2021-10-04 04:00
Rule changes for international travel to England for people who qualify as fully vaccinated.