UK | COVID-19: International travel guidance: Countries exempted from quarantine

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Amendment No. 16) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 (“The principal Regulations”). The Canary Islands, Denmark, the Greek island of Mykonos and the Maldives are included within the list of countries and territories in Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations exempt from the requirement in regulation 4 of those Regulations to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival in Northern Ireland. Liechtenstein is omitted from the list of countries and territories in Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations exempt from the requirement in regulation 4 of those Regulations to self-isolate for 14 days after arrival in Northern Ireland. These regulations are published on 23 October 2020 and comes into effect on 25 October 2020. For more information on previous changes for Wales refer to our previous alert: COVID-19: Public Health Advice for Persons Travelling to Northern Ireland  

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 16) Regulations 2020

The International Travel Regulations impose requirements on persons entering Wales after having been abroad. They include a requirement for persons arriving in Wales to isolate for a period determined in accordance with the Regulations. The requirements imposed by the International Travel Regulations are subject to exceptions, and certain categories of person are exempt from having to comply. Persons entering Wales after being in one or more of the countries and territories listed in Schedule 3 to the International Travel Regulations are not required to isolate. The countries and territories listed in Schedule 3 are referred to as “exempt countries and territories”, but some of the entries in Schedule 3 are subject to exceptions in respect of particular territories. So for example, in relation to Greece, which is an exempt country for the purposes of the International Travel Regulations, certain Greek islands are excluded from the exemption. Part 2 of these Regulations amends the list of exempt countries and territories. Regulations 2 and 3 of these Regulations amend the International Travel Regulations to add the Canary Islands, Denmark, Maldives, and the Greek island of Mykonos to the list of exempt countries and territories. Regulation 5 of these Regulations amends the International Travel Regulations to remove Liechtenstein from the list of exempt countries and territories. Regulations 4 and 6 of these Regulations make transitional provision relating to these countries’ and territories’ change of status. The transitional provision addresses a potential area of doubt in terms of the effect on the operation of the International Travel Regulations, of the amendments made by regulations 2, 3 and 5 of these Regulations. These regulations are published on 23 October 2020 and comes into effect on 25 October 2020. For more information on previous changes for Wales refer to our previous alert: COVID-19: Public Health Information for Persons Travelling to Wales  

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Amendment (No. 19) Regulations 2020

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (“the International Travel Regulations”). The Regulations remove Liechtenstein from the list of exempt countries, territories and parts of countries or territories in Part 1 of schedule A1 of the International Travel Regulations. This means that persons arriving in Scotland at or after the time these Regulations come into force are no longer exempt from the movement restriction in regulation 6 of the International Travel Regulations if, during the 14 days preceding their arrival, they have departed from or transited through Liechtenstein. The Regulations also add the Canary Islands, Denmark and Maldives to the list of exempt countries and territories, and they remove the exclusion of the island of Mykonos from the exemption applying to Greece. This means that persons arriving in Scotland from The Canary Islands, Denmark, Maldives or Mykonos at or after the time these Regulations come into force will be exempt from the movement restriction in regulation 6 of the International Travel Regulations. Regulation 2(3) amends schedule 1 of the International Travel Regulations to remove the travel booking reference from the information specified in that schedule, and to include the seat number and, where appropriate, the coach number. Regulation 2(4) amends schedule 2 of the International Travel Regulations to— (a)substitute a new definition of “visiting force” in paragraph 3, and (b)clarify that the exemption in paragraph 25 only applies where a person has travelled to the United Kingdom in the course of their work. These regulations are published on 23 October 2020 and comes into effect on 25 October 2020.  

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) (Amendment) (No. 20) Regulations 2020

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/568) (“the principal Regulations”) to— (a)remove Liechtenstein from, and add the Canary Islands, Denmark, Maldives, and the Greek island of Mykonos to, the list of exempt countries and territories, in Schedule A1 to the principal Regulations, from which passengers arriving in England are not required to self-isolate (regulation 2(2)); (b)amend the passenger information, in Schedule 1 to the principal Regulations, which passengers arriving in England must provide (regulation 2(3)); (c)amend the entries relevant to visiting forces (paragraph 3) and offshore workers (paragraph 24) in Schedule 2 to the principal Regulations, which specifies individuals who are exempt from the requirement to provide information or self-isolate (regulation 2(4)); (d)amend the list of specified competitions in Schedule 3 to the principal Regulations, which is relevant to the exemption from the requirement to self-isolate for elite sportspersons (regulation 2(5)). Passengers are not required to self-isolate on arrival in England if, during the 14 days preceding their arrival, they have only been in or transited through exempt countries or territories, or exempt parts of countries or territories. Passengers who have been in or transited through a non-exempt country or territory, or a non-exempt part of a country or territory, must self-isolate until 14 days have elapsed since the day after they last left a non-exempt country or territory, or a non-exempt part of a country or territory. The changes to Schedule A1 will not affect passengers who arrive in England before 4.00 a.m. on 25th October 2020.