Given the possible end of the current lockdown findings and the return of children to school in the UK, we felt this was an opportune time to take stock of the latest COVID-19 travel advisories. In fact, great strides have been made in containing the UK pandemic compared to just a few weeks ago. Case numbers, hospital admissions and deaths attributable to the virus have all decreased significantly, almost back to September 2020 levels. Despite this significant improvement in the overall situation, the government and the Home Office are keen to pursue a phased slow reopening policy , with an interval of five weeks. Hopefully this will avoid lifting too many restrictions at once, leading to an uncontrolled explosion of cases. Winter is expected to see a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases again, but given the effectiveness of the vaccination program (nearly 23 million people received their first dose at press time), the death rate is likely broadly on par with the flu . In this article, we’re going to take a look at the latest guidelines for those planning a trip to the UK and explain which jobs are exempt from travel restrictions.
What are the travel restrictions for travelers in the UK?
Current travel restrictions will depend on where you were in the 10 days prior to your arrival in the UK, as follows:
If you come from a country that is on the ‘Red List’.
If you are not a UK or Irish citizen or a resident of the UK and have come from or have traveled through a country on the ‘Red List’, you are currently not allowed to enter (if you can manage to get to the UK You will be refused entry by the border authorities and will have to return to your place of departure). The forbidden / red list currently includes Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Eswatini, French Guiana, Guyana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia , Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal (including Madeira and Azores), Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
British, Irish and resident residents can enter the UK from a red list country but will be required to be quarantined at a government approved hotel for ten days. Those who find themselves in this situation will have to pay the cost of their stay at the hotel. This is currently £ 1,750 for an adult in a room; an additional adult in the same room costs £ 650 (this also applies to children over 12 years old); The hotel room rate for children aged 5 to 12 is £ 325. The government makes it clear that no one should try to avoid quarantine where it is necessary; The Home Office guidelines state: “You could be fined up to £ 10,000, imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both if you fail to provide specific information about the countries you visit in the 10 days prior to your Arriving in the UK. If you break the quarantine rules, you can expect a fine of up to £ 10,000.
If you come from a country that is not on the “Red List”.
Travelers from countries that are not on the red list must quarantine themselves at their place of stay. In addition, upon arrival in the UK, you will need to take two COVID-19 tests (these must be booked prior to your travel to the UK). It is also possible for non-redlisted travelers to pay for private COVID-19 tests to end their quarantine early – this is known as “test and release”. The Home Office’s official guidelines on testing and clearance state: “You cannot take a test until five days after your arrival in England at the earliest. For example, if you arrive on a Monday, you can take a test from the following Saturday. On this basis, you are free to end your self-isolation as soon as you have a negative result after these mandatory five days. If the test is inconclusive, you will need to self-isolate for another ten days. In order to be able to use Test and Release, you have to make an appointment with a approved private test provider and indicate on your passenger finder form that you intend to do so.
What jobs are eligible for COVID-19 travel exemptions in the UK?
Some people in the UK are not required to self-isolate due to the nature of their job, however the restrictions that apply (or that do not apply) vary depending on the type of employment. The types of jobs that are exempt from some or all UK travel restrictions are as follows:
- Aerospace engineers
- Airplane pilots and crew
- BBC broadcast broadcast network and services
- Border Security Obligations – UK Officials and Contractors
- Border Security Obligations – Officials and Contractors outside the UK
- Bus and coach drivers
- Canal tunnel system workers
- Civil aviation inspectors
- Clinical trials or studies
- Crown servants or government contractors
- Maintenance of the data infrastructure
- Defense personnel, visiting forces and government contractors
- Diplomatic missions, international organizations and conferences
- Downstream oil plant workers
- Truck drivers
- Electronic communication networks
- Top athletes – domestic
- Top athletes – international
- Environmental Agency for Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management
- Employees at Eurostar International
- Eurotunnel workers
- High speed 2 rail workers
- International prison escort
- IT and telecommunications workers
- Medical evacuation
- Medical treatment
- Urgent medical treatment
- Medicines – human and veterinary medicine
- Employees at Network Rail
- Nuclear personnel
- Nuclear emergency responder
- Offshore oil and gas
- OPCW and IAEA inspectors
- Postal workers
- Quality assurance inspectors for human and veterinary medicine
- Regular work abroad
- Regular work in the UK, living abroad
- Representatives of a foreign country or territory or British overseas territories
- Seamen and captains and inspectors and surveyors of ships
- Seasonal workers in agriculture
- Technical skilled workers – subsea telecommunications infrastructure
- Technical skilled workers – goods and services
- Technical skilled workers – waste
- Technical skilled workers – energy infrastructure
- Technical skilled workers – space infrastructure
- Transit through Great Britain
- Transport of human cells or blood
- Workers in the water supply and sewerage system
If your role fits into one of these categories, it is important to search the home office website for the Guidelines and restrictions that apply to you. It explains what you don’t have to do and who the exceptions apply to. Travelers in these professions can also travel to the UK from Red List countries, but they must be quarantined for ten days in a government-approved hotel.
last words
The guidelines on travel restrictions related to COVID-19 are constantly changing. The UK has indeed been particularly slow to introduce international travel restrictions and border processes and procedures, but this is now more established.
