Travel to England from another country during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Check what COVID-19 tests you need to take and the self-isolation rules for travel to England.
Applies to England
What you must do depends on whether you qualify as fully vaccinated under the rules for travel to England.
Read separate guidance to check if you qualify as fully vaccinated.
If you are fully vaccinated
Before you travel to England you must complete a passenger locator form. You need to do this in the 3 days before you arrive in England.
You do not need to complete a passenger locator form if you began your journey to England in Ukraine or Russia.
You do not need to take any COVID-19 travel tests before you travel to England or after you arrive.
You do not need to quarantine when you arrive in England.
Read separate guidance to check if you qualify as fully vaccinated.
If you are not fully vaccinated
Before you travel to England – not fully vaccinated
Before you travel to England you must:
- take a COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 2 days before you travel to England
- book and pay for a COVID-19 PCR test – to be taken after you arrive in England
- complete a UK passenger locator form – to be completed in the 3 days before you arrive in England
You will need to enter your PCR test booking reference number in the passenger locator form.
Ukraine or Russia
If you began your journey in Ukraine or Russia, you do not need to:
- complete a passenger locator form
- take a COVID-19 test before travel to England or book a PCR test to take on arrival
Read separate guidance about taking a COVID-19 test before you travel to England.
When you arrive in England – not fully vaccinated
You do not need to quarantine when you arrive in England.
You must take the COVID-19 PCR test that you booked before you travelled.
You can take the test any time after you arrive and before the end of day 2 at the latest. The day you arrive in England is day 0.
If the test result is positive or unclear, you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people. Find out what to do if you’ve had a positive or unclear COVID-19 test result.
Read separate guidance to check if you qualify as fully vaccinated.
Travelling with children
Children aged 17 and under do not have to:
- take any COVID-19 travel tests
- quarantine on arrival in England
You should check the rules in the country you are travelling from as they may require children to take a test at the start of your journey to England.
There are different rules for children who have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before they arrive in England. There are currently no countries or territories on the red list.
Medical and work-related exemptions
Some people cannot be fully vaccinated for medical reasons.
Read separate guidance about medical exemptions from vaccination.
There are also medical exemptions from testing before travel to England.
Some people are exempt from some or all of the requirements because of the job they do.
Transiting through England
Read separate guidance if you are transiting through England as part of an international journey.
Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
If you’re travelling to England from within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you do not need to:
- complete a passenger locator form
- take any COVID-19 tests
- quarantine on arrival in England
This only applies if you have not been outside of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man in the 10 days before the day you arrive in England. If you have, you must follow the international travel rules in the place where you arrive.
See separate guidance on travel within the Common Travel Area after international travel.
Red list countries and territories
There are currently no countries or territories on the red list.
There are different rules if you have been in a red list country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England. If you need to follow red list rules, you must do so if you are fully vaccinated or not.
Travel abroad from England
Read separate guidance about what you need to do to travel abroad from England.
Last updated 5 March 2022
