Guidance

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

YouCheck dowhat not need to take any COVID-19 tests oryou quarantineneed onto arrivaltake inand England,the irrespectiveself-isolation ofrules yourfor vaccinationtravel status.to England.

From:
Department for Transport and Department of Health and Social Care
Published
22 June 2021
Last updated
1814 March 2022 — See all updates

Applies to England

When

18 youMarch travel to England changes

If you will arrive in England from abroad you:after 4am, Friday 18 March, you do not need to:

  • take any COVID-19 tests – before you travel or after you arrive
  • fill in a UK passenger locator form before you travel

This will apply whether you are vaccinated or not.

You also will not need to quarantine when you arrive, in line with current rules.

Other countries still have COVID-19 entry rules in place. You should check travel advice before you travel.

If you will arrive in England before 4am, 18 March, you must follow the current rules as set out in this guidance.

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.

Read separate guidance to check if you qualify as fully vaccinated.

If you are fully vaccinated - until 18 March

Before you travel to England you must complete a passenger locator form. You need to do this in the 3 days before you arrive in England.

You do not need to complete a passenger locator form if you began your journey to England in Ukraine or Russia.

You do not need to take any COVID-19 travel tests before you travel to England or after you arrive.

You do not need to quarantine when you arrive in England.

Read separate guidance to check if you qualify as fully vaccinated.

If you are not fully vaccinated - until 18 March

Before you travel to England – not fully vaccinated

Before you travel to England you must:

You will need to enter your PCR test booking reference number in the passenger locator form.

Ukraine or Russia

If you began your journey in Ukraine or Russia, you do not need to:

  • complete a passenger locator form
  • take a COVID-19 test before travel to quarantineEngland whenor youbook arrivea PCR test to take on arrival

ThisRead appliesseparate whetherguidance about taking a COVID-19 test before you aretravel to England.

When you arrive in England – not fully vaccinated

You ordo not.not need to quarantine when you arrive in England.

ItYou includesmust peopletake whothe areCOVID-19 transitingPCR throughtest England.that you booked before you travelled.

You shouldcan followtake the test any rulestime thatafter youryou travelarrive providerand tellsbefore the end of day 2 at the latest. The day you toarrive follow.in England is day 0.

OtherIf countriesthe maytest haveresult rulesis aboutpositive whator unclear, you needshould stay at home and avoid contact with other people. Find out what to do toif leaveyou’ve thehad countrya positive or unclear COVID-19 test result.

Read separate guidance to check if you qualify as fully vaccinated.

Travelling with children

Children aged 17 and under do not have to:

  • take any COVID-19 travel totests
  • quarantine England.on arrival in England

You should check travelthe advicerules forin the country you are travelling from.from as they may require children to take a test at the start of your journey to England.

Red

There are different rules for children who have been in a red list countriescountry andor territories

territory in the 10 days before they arrive in England. There are currently no countries or territories on the red list.

Medical restrictionsand inwork-related placeexemptions

Some people cannot be fully vaccinated for medical reasons.

Read separate guidance about medical exemptions from vaccination.

There are also medical exemptions from testing before travel to England.England.

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

TravelTransiting abroadthrough England

Read separate guidance if you are transiting through England as part of an international journey.

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

This only applies 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.

See separate guidance on travel within the Common Travel Area after international travel.

Red list countries and territories

OtherThere are currently no countries haveor territories on the red list.

There are different rules aboutif whatyou 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 toso travelif thereyou fromare England.fully vaccinated or not.

Travel abroad from England

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

Published 22 June 2021
Last updated 1814 March 2022 + show all updates

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. From 9am Monday 28 February, you can fill in the UK passenger locator form up to 3 days before you arrive in England.

  6. From 24 February, there is no legal requirement to self-isolate if you get a positive day 2 test result.

  7. You do not need to take any COVID-19 travel tests or self-isolate on arrival in England if you qualify as fully vaccinated.

  8. The testing and quarantine rules for international travel to England will change 11 February 2022.

  9. You can now choose a lateral flow test or a PCR test as your post arrival test.

  10. From 4am 7 January you do not have to quarantine on arrival in England if you qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England.

  11. Changes to rules for fully vaccinated people travelling to England from 4am 7 January 2022.

  12. People who qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England can now end self-isolation after 7 days with 2 negative lateral flow tests.

  13. Further information about quarantine rules for children aged 4 and under.

  14. People aged 12 years and over must COVID-19 test before they travel to England from abroad.

  15. 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.

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. 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.

  19. Travel to England rules for children no longer depend on their place of residence.

  20. Clarification about unclear or inconclusive test results.

  21. From 4am 22 November 2021, all children aged 17 and under will not have to quarantine on arrival in England.

  22. 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.

  23. 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.

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

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

  26. First published.

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