New quarantine rules for UK arrivals
As the UK government begins to ease lockdown restrictions in the UK, new quarantine rules are now in place for passengers arriving in the UK from 8 June 2020.
The rules have been introduced to help tackle the risk of imported cases of COVID-19 as the number of arrivals begin to increase.
What are the new rules for UK arrivals?
From now, most people arriving in the UK will be required to fill in an online contact locator form, containing details on their travel and contact information so they can be traced if they or anyone they may have had contact with develops the disease.
Passengers must fill in the online form before they arrive in the UK, and will be required to show the completed form when they arrive at the UK border. Failure to complete the form is punishable by a £100 fixed penalty notice.
Upon arrival in the UK, travellers will be required to self-isolate for 14 days, and must provide an address for where they will be staying during the quarantine period.
In England, public health authorities may conduct random checks to ensure compliance with the quarantine requirements, and anyone found to have breached these conditions could face enforcement action and a fine.
However, certain travellers will be exempt from the new border rules and may not need to provide their journey and contact details or self-isolate when they arrive.
Who is exempt?
Travellers from within the Common Travel Area (CTA), including Ireland, Isle of Man and Channel Islands, will not need to complete the online form or self-isolate on arrival if they have been in the CTA for at least 14 days prior to their arrival in the UK. Travellers who have spent less than 14 days in the CTA will still need to fill in the form and quarantine for 14 days after arriving in the UK.
Certain categories of international key workers and professionals arriving to carry out essential work in the UK will also be exempt from the quarantine rules. Some of the exemptions include:
- Human and veterinary medical professionals
- Drivers of goods vehicles or public service vehicles
- Foreign diplomats
- Anyone travelling to the UK for essential government or defense business
- Workers with specialist technical skills required for essential or emergency works
- Seasonal agricultural workers with an offer of employment for seasonal work
- People who live outside the UK but work in the UK and travel between their country of residence and the UK at least once a week
The full list of exemptions is extensive, and there are varying conditions placed on each category in relation to the contact locator form and the 14 day quarantine requirements.
A full list and the current conditions placed on each category can be viewed on the government website here.
Get help with moving staff across borders
As lockdown measures in the UK and worldwide begin to ease, many businesses are now planning to begin moving staff internationally.
If you need advice or support with immigration, the team at Smith Stone Walters would be happy to help. Contact us today to discuss your requirements. We are immigration experts.
