Travel Advice

International travel

You must follow the rules for international travel. 

Travelling to England from outside the UK

What you must do when you arrive in England from abroad depends on where you have been in the last 10 days before you arrive.

People planning to travel to England should follow the guidance on entering the UK.

Find out which list the country you are travelling from is on and what you need to do.

Travelling in the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands

There are no restrictions on travel within England.

You should check the rules at your destination if you’re planning to travel to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, or to Ireland or the Channel Islands as there may be restrictions in place.

Do not travel if you have COVID-19 symptoms or are self-isolating.

 

JANUARY 2022 REVIEW - Arriving to the UK - England

From 4am Friday 11 February, in time for the half-term break, eligible fully vaccinated passengers arriving in the UK will no longer have to undertake a post-arrival Lateral Flow test. This means that there will be no testing requirements for those who are fully vaccinated. As such, the only remaining measure for those who are fully vaccinated will be to complete a Passenger Locator Form.

Passengers who do not qualify as fully vaccinated will no longer be required to undertake a day 8 test after arrival or self-isolate. Such passengers will still need to fill out a Passenger Locator Form, demonstrate proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 2 days before travel and take a post arrival PCR test before day 2.

For inbound travel, all under-18s regardless of their individual vaccination status will continue to be considered as fully vaccinated, meaning they too will not have to take any pre or post arrival tests.

Children aged 12-15 in England will also be able to prove their vaccination status or proof of prior infection via the digital NHS COVID Pass from 3 February for outbound travel, making it easier for children and families to travel to countries which require proof of vaccination or prior infection to gain entry, avoid isolation, or access venues or services.

From 11 February, we will recognise vaccine certificates from a further 16 countries and territories at the UK border, including China and Mexico, bringing the total number of countries and territories from which we recognise vaccine certification to more than 180.

From the end of February, the window for a passenger to complete a Passenger Locator Form prior to their departure will increase from 48 hours to 3 days, giving passengers more time to complete the form ahead of travel. We will simplify the Passenger Locator Form so that we only capture essential information and it is much easier to complete.

If you arrive in England after 4am, 11 February, the following rules will apply:

Fully vaccinated – from 11 February

If you qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England, you:

  • will not need to take a COVID-19 test before you travel to England or after you arrive
  • will not need to quarantine when you arrive
  • will need to complete a passenger locator form before you travel to England

Check if you can follow the rules for people who are fully vaccinated - includes people aged 17 and under.

Not fully vaccinated – from 11 February

If you do not qualify as fully vaccinated for travel to England, you will need to:

You will need to book the PCR test before you travel.

You will not need to quarantine, unless the result of the PCR test is positive.

If you arrive in England before 4am, 11 February you must: