With us deep into another lockdown, the UK Government and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has announced new restrictions for travellers coming to the United Kingdom
Countries/Regions being removed from the UK Travel Corridors List
From 4am Sat 9 January, travel restrictions are being placed on a number of countries in southern Africa to protect against a new COVID-19 variant.
- Namibia – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/namibia
- Zimbabwe – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/zimbabwe
- Botswana- https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/botswana
- Eswatini – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/eswatini
- Zambia – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/zambia
- Malawi – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/malawi
- Lesotho – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/lesotho
- Mozambique – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mozambique
- Angola- https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/angola
- Mauritius – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mauritius
- Seychelles – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/seychelles
In addition, the following countries are being removed from the usual travel corridor list
- Botswana- https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/botswana
- Israel – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/israel
- Mauritius – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mauritius
- Seychelles – https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/seychelles
If you are returning to the UK from any of these destinations above on or after 4am on 9th January, you will need to self-isolate for 10 days on your return. Check the latest guidance for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Countries the are being added to the UK Travel Corridor List:
- None.
The countries lists
As usual, there are two lists you need to be aware of:
- The travel corridors list, its at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-corridors.
- The list of countries where FCDO’s “Do not travel” does not apply is at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-countries-and-territories-exempt-from-advice-against-all-but-essential-international-travel.
But when you are returning to the UK…
All travellers, including those from exempt destinations, will still be required to show a completed passenger locator form on arrival in the United Kingdom unless they fall into a small group of exemptions. Failure to do so will lead to fines if you are caught entering the country without a completed form.
Remember to self Isolate or enjoy a hefty fine
Yes, it’s not going to be a fun time if you have to self-isolate on returning to the UK. It’ll be a less of a fun time on your wallet if you breach the self-isolation rules when returning from non-exempt countries, with fines increasing have increased from £1,000 for a first offence up to £10,000 for subsequent offences, mirroring penalties for those breaching self-isolation following a positive COVID test or contact from Test & Trace.
Remember that the isolation time has changed from 14 days to 10 days. This has been covered on this blog and the update is here.
What about Test to Release?
Test to release is now live for arrivals that will be staying in England. I’ve covered the changes on the blog here. In theory, you can cut down the time you spend in isolation if you get
The official guide is at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel, with test providers at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-private-providers-of-coronavirus-testing/list-of-private-providers-of-coronavirus-testing#test-to-release-for-international-travel.
You’ll need to pay for testing though…
Remember – International Travel is restricted from the UK
With the UK Government imposing a national lockdown, travel is limited.
If you are in England, you should not travel abroad. You can only travel internationally if you have a legally permitted reason to leave home. There are similar restrictions in place in Scotland, Wales and also some restrictions in Northern Ireland.
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