Guidance

Travel advice: coronavirus (COVID-19)

Guidance for British people travelling abroad during the coronavirus pandemic, if they are legally permitted to travel under current UK COVID-19 restrictions.

Published 4 February 2020
Last updated 15 February 2021 — see all updates
From:
Foreign & Commonwealth Office and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

COVID-19 travel

Under current UK COVID-19 restrictions, you must stay at home. You must not travel, including abroad, unless you have a legally permitted reason to do so. It is illegal to travel abroad for holidays and other leisure purposes.

Check the rules that apply to you in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If you intend to travel to the UK from abroad, including UK nationals returning home, you must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken up to 3 days before departure. If you do not comply (and you do not have a valid exemption) your airline or carrier may refuse you boarding and/or you may be fined on arrival.

Before you enter the UK you must provide your journey and contact details. You must self-isolate (or quarantine) when you enter the UK from any foreign country except Ireland, unless you have a valid exemption.

When you enter England from abroad (except Ireland), you must follow the new requirements for quarantining and taking additional COVID-19 tests. If you are travelling from a country on the banned travel list you must quarantine in a hotel. Different rules apply for arrivals into England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If you are legally permitted to travel abroad, check our advice on your country of destination. Some other countries have closed borders, and may further restrict movement or bring in new rules including testing requirements with little warning.

Plan for your travel: checklist

Developments in the coronavirus pandemic remain uncertain around the world. No travel is risk-free, and many countries have closed their borders to UK travellers due to the new variant of the virus.

If you are in the UK you should not travel abroad. Under current UK COVID-19 restrictions, you must stay at home. You must not travel, including abroad, unless you have a legally permitted reason to do so. It is illegal to travel abroad for holidays and other leisure purposes.

You should check the guidance for your personal circumstances before deciding whether you can travel internationally.

If you are legally permitted to travel abroad and are planning travel in the future, even if you are returning to a place you’ve visited before, follow this checklist.

Before you travel

  • follow all the current rules for where you live. You need a legally permitted reason to leave your home, including to travel abroad. In the UK, there are different restrictions in place in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

  • keep up-to-date with the latest developments for your destination. Sign up for travel advice email alerts and check the TravelHealthPro website for travel health guidance 

  • find out about any entry restrictions, screening or quarantine requirements on arrival that might affect you. Check ‘entry requirements’ in our travel advice and contact the UK-based embassy of the country you’re travelling to for more information

  • if you need proof of a negative coronavirus test to enter another country, you must use a private test provider. The NHS Test and Trace testing service cannot provide the documents you will need for travel

  • read the safer air travel guidance on sensible precautions and steps to take if you’re flying. Consider your own circumstances and health, and remember you will need to wear a face covering on flights in England and Scotland. See also the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) guidance 

  • check with your accommodation provider for information about availability and the safety measures they have put in place 

  • read the advice of local authorities and follow all local health measures in place during your journey and in your destination. Local measures and travel restrictions may change before you arrive or during your stay. Check the travel advice page for your destination and check with your transport provider for more information 

  • get travel insurance, and make sure you are content with the level of cover it provides. If you already have travel insurance check it is valid and provides appropriate cover 

  • check your cancellation rights. Contact your tour operator, transport and accommodation providers if you have any questions 

When you’re abroad

  • continue to follow any updates to our travel advice for your destination

  • be prepared to comply with measures to manage localised outbreaks such as border closures, movement restrictions, testing requirements or quarantine rules. These could be brought in at short notice

  • if you test positive for coronavirus you are likely to need to get treatment locally and stay there until you have recovered. If you are required to quarantine or self-isolate by local authorities, you should expect to do so in the country

  • you may need to stay longer than you intended. Plan ahead for any delays to your return home and the financial implications or practical arrangements you may need to make

  • you should liaise closely with your travel company or airline to ensure you are aware of any changes to schedules. Plan for the risks of disruption and local domestic measures affecting your travel when arranging your return to the UK

  • if you will be returning to the UK, prepare for your return journey by completing the passenger locator form

  • to travel to England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland from abroad, including UK nationals returning home, you must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken up to 3 days before departure. If you do not comply (and you do not have a valid exemption) your airline or carrier may refuse you boarding and/or you may be fined on arrival

  • you must self-isolate (or quarantine) when you enter the UK from any foreign country except Ireland, unless you have a valid exemption:

When you return

You will need to follow the rules for entering the UK:

FCDO travel advice

Our travel advice explains that you must comply with the restrictions on travel, both domestic and international, that apply in each nation across the UK. You must not leave home or travel, including abroad, unless you have a legally permitted reason to do so.

It sets out the risks that you may face if you go to another country, including non-COVID risks, if you are able to travel abroad.

We continue to advise against all non-essential international travel to some countries and territories. You should check the country page for your destination. We also currently advise against cruise ship travel.

We are monitoring the international situation very closely and keeping this advice under constant review so that it reflects our latest assessment of risks to British people.  We take a range of factors into account.  For coronavirus, this includes the incidence rate and the resilience of healthcare provision in each country.  Find out more about how our travel advice works.

Consular help

We publish all our travel advice on GOV.UK. Our consular officers cannot provide any additional information by phone. Read more about the consular support we provide.

If FCDO travel advice changes when you are abroad

Travel advice is under constant review and may change at short notice, if risks in a country change.

Our travel advice may change while you are in a country to advise against all travel, or all but essential travel, because of COVID risks. If this happens, we do not advise you to return immediately to the UK. Instead, you should follow the local advice on any measures the local authorities are taking to control the virus before your return to the UK.

If you decide you wish to shorten your stay abroad because of a change in travel advice you should:

  1. contact your airline and travel company to discuss your options
  2. you must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken up to 3 days before departure
  3. provide your journey and contact details before you travel using the passenger locator form
  4. check how you need to self-isolate or quarantine when you enter the UK on your return

If changes relating to the new COVID-19 variant mean you cannot return from travel abroad

If you are travelling abroad and unable to return to the UK, contact your airline or travel provider for advice. You can also contact your nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate for urgent assistance.

Quarantine while you are abroad

If the local authority where you are proposes to quarantine you for your own protection, you should follow their advice.

If there are suspected cases of coronavirus where you are, you may need to remain in your hotel room or accommodation for 14 days, move to quarantine facilities and take tests for coronavirus. If you test positive, in some cases, you may need to be hospitalised abroad.

You should also contact your airline or travel company, and your insurance provider as soon as you can. We only organise assisted departure in exceptional circumstances.

Looking after your mental wellbeing

Your emotional and mental wellbeing is important. Keep in regular contact with the people who usually support you: family, friends and colleagues, especially if you are self-isolating abroad.

Read guidance on how to look after your wellbeing and mental health if you’re abroad during the current coronavirus pandemic.

If you live abroad permanently

As a permanent resident overseas, you should follow the advice of the local authorities where you are. Further information on COVID-19 measures that countries have taken is available in our travel advice pages.

COVID-19 vaccines if you live abroad

Wherever possible British nationals should aim to be vaccinated in their country of residence. We will share information on other countries’ national vaccine programmes on our travel advice pages as they are announced. You can sign up to get email notifications when a country’s travel advice page is updated.

If you live overseas find out about the vaccines available locally, and contact your healthcare provider for further advice. They can share the latest information about the national COVID-19 vaccination programme in the country where you live.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is the UK authority responsible for assessing the safety, quality and efficacy of vaccines. It has authorised the Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines for temporary supply and use in the UK. Find out more about MHRA approval for these vaccines.

British nationals living overseas should seek medical advice from their local healthcare provider in the country where they reside. Information about vaccines used in other national programmes, including regulatory status, should be available from the local authorities. This list of Stringent Regulatory Authorities recognised by the World Health Organisation may also be a useful source of additional information.

Find out more about COVID-19 vaccines on the World Health Organisation website.

Latest health advice

Read the latest NHS guidance on coronavirus for the current situation in the UK and abroad, and the latest government guidance on coronavirus.

The NaTHNaC provides general advice on preparing for foreign travel and how to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses.

Published 4 February 2020
Last updated 15 February 2021 + show all updates

  1. Updated as new quarantine rules come into force, with new links to quarantine guidance for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

  2. Edited the checklist to provide further detail on requirements coming into effect from 15 February.

  3. New link to Scottish government quarantine hotels guidance, for when you arrive in Scotland from any foreign country except Ireland from 15 February onwards.

  4. From 15 February you will need to quarantine in a government-approved hotel if you arrive in the UK from countries on the travel ban list.

  5. UK government announced new rules on 27 January for outbound and inbound passengers. Top box updated: Under current UK COVID-19 restrictions, you must stay at home. You must not travel, including abroad, unless you have a legally permitted reason to do so. It is illegal to travel abroad for holidays and other leisure purposes.

  6. Updated with details of new requirements coming into effect from 4am on 18 January 2021.

  7. Updated with information on pre-departure testing for everyone travelling into England and Scotland.

  8. Updated to reflect latest UK restrictions

  9. Updated guidance to reflect changes relating to the new variant of the virus.

  10. Update to COVID-19 travel guidance

  11. New link to the guidance on getting a COVID-19 test to reduce self-isolation

  12. Updated to reflect the latest Tier-based COVID-19 rules for England

  13. Updated to include information on the new restrictions coming into force for England on 5 November

  14. Reviewed and updated to reflect current COVID-19 guidance

  15. Updated to reflect travel corridors coming into effect on 10 July. You may not have to self-isolate when you arrive in the UK from some countries and territories.

  16. Updated as the exemptions to the global advice against all non-essential travel come into effect

  17. Updated with a new checklist following the change in travel advice, where some countries will be exempted from the global advisory against non-essential international travel from 4 July.

  18. Added link to new guidance on safer air travel in the 'When you return to the UK' section

  19. Updated as the new rules for entering the UK (providing contact details and self-isolating) come into force

  20. Added link for how to get a test in the 'when you return to the UK' section

  21. Added information on new rules on entering or returning to the UK that will start on 8 June

  22. Updated to reflect coronavirus symptoms

  23. Updated to reflect new social distancing guidance

  24. New guidance link for wellbeing and mental health if you are abroad during the coronavirus pandemic

  25. New link to guidance on staying where you are if you cannot return to the UK

  26. New information on how government and airlines are helping bring British people travelling to return, including through special charter flights.

  27. Update for the latest travel advisory: return to the UK now if you’re travelling abroad

  28. Added link to new guidance on essential travel for international freight transport

  29. updated with latest advice against all non-essential travel worldwide

  30. Travel Checklist under "Before you go" sub-heading updated

  31. Addition of information about education trips overseas.

  32. Updated with latest guidance about planning for travel during the coronavirus outbreak

  33. Updated with latest advice for Italy and new guidance for people planning to travel abroad

  34. Updated to reflect new advice for the lockdown areas in northern Italy

  35. updated with latest travel advice for Cheongdo and Gyeongsan (South Korea), Public Health England advice on returning from Italy, and link to ABTA advice

  36. updated to reflect new advice against all travel to Daegu in South Korea

  37. Latest FCO travel advice on COVID-19.

  38. We have added additional travel advice on COVID-19

  39. First published.

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