It’s been a difficult year for most countries, with plenty of travel restrictions. To visit other countries you now need to follow the correct procedures and checks. Here are all the health restrictions you need to know before traveling to the United Kingdom.
Traveling To The UK
Depending on where you are traveling from, the process of entering the UK is different. The restrictions are different based on where you have traveled in the 10 days prior to arriving in the UK.
The UK government has formed a ‘Red List’ of countries deemed to be more of a threat due to their COVID-19 numbers. If you have traveled to or from any of the countries that the UK government has on the ‘Red List’ within the last 10 days, you will not be given permission to enter the UK.
The exception to this is if you are a British National, or have the right to reside in the UK. In these instances, you will still be able to enter the country if you travel from a ‘Red List’ country, but you must quarantine in a government-approved hotel for ten days upon your arrival.
What Countries Are On The UK’s Travel Red List?
Currently, the UK government’s ‘Red List’ contains 40 countries.
- Angola
- Argentina
- Bangladesh
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ecuador
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- India
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Suriname
- Tanzania
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
However, please be aware that the countries featured on the “Red List” change frequently, and so you must check this list before traveling. For the most up-to-date ‘Red List’ visit the UK government website or sign up to get an email alert whenever the list is updated.
Test And Quarantine Requirements On Entry
If you have not traveled to any countries currently featured on the “Red List”, then you may travel to the UK. However, there are 3 health restrictions in order to be allowed into the country:
- You will need to complete a Passenger Locator Form
- You will need to provide proof of a negative Coronavirus test
- You will need to have pre-booked 2 additional Coronavirus tests to be taken during your quarantine when entering the UK, from a private Coronavirus test company.
1. The Passenger Locator Form
The Passenger Locator form should be completed up to 48 hours before you travel to the UK. It is free to submit this form, however, it may be something that you might need assistance with if English is not your first language. Making sure you have completed this form correctly and accurately is important. It could mean that you are denied entry to the UK altogether.
We offer Certified Translation Services, which are quick and extremely accurate and so if this is something that you feel would help to complete your application, you can contact us and we’ll be able to assist you with this.
2. Quarantine
Once you have landed in the UK, you will be asked to isolate (quarantine) at the property that you have listed on your Passenger Locator Form. During this time, you will need to complete the two Coronavirus tests at regular intervals during your quarantine period.
You will need to prove your quarantine arrangements at border control, including proof of either:
- the address where you will stay in the UK (if applicable)
- booking reference numbers for the 2 COVID-19 tests you must take after arriving in the UK
- the invoice number for your quarantine hotel booking if you need one
3. COVID Test
When you enter the UK, you will need to prove you have tested negative for Coronavirus with either a PCR or Lateral Flow test. This proof of a negative test can be provided either by a confirmation email or text message.
You will then need to have 2 additional Coronavirus tests during your quarantine in which you also test negative. Then you can also reduce the amount of time that you stay in quarantine if you opt to take a third coronavirus test. You will be able to leave quarantine if you produce a negative Covid test after completing five days of isolation or upon this third COVID-19 test.
4. Standard Travel Checks
Once you’ve addressed the health restrictions you need to know before traveling to the United Kingdom, you can then go ahead and complete the normal travel checks that would be required to enter the country, and again we can help you to complete these checks:
- Check that your passport has enough time left on it – For visits to the UK, your passport must be valid for the entirety of your stay, including the day that you fly to your home country or next destination.
- Check that you have the correct Visa and documentation to support your trip to the UK.
- Ensure that any children who may be traveling with you also have the correct passports and visa documentation.
- Obtain travel insurance.
- Check which (if any) vaccinations are required to enter the UK. Currently, there are no vaccinations requirements to be able to enter the UK; however, please make sure that you check this before traveling.
Facts About The UK
So now you’ve got the necessities sorted, here are a few facts about the UK before you travel to the country.
Did you know…
- The Queen doesn’t have a passport! This is because all British passports are issued in the name of the Queen, and so she would be giving herself permission to have a passport.
- London has the largest Library in the whole world – the British Library in Kings Cross has over one hundred and seventy million items within its catalog!
- Scotland has a famous monster. You may have heard of the fable (or is it?) Loch Ness monster and it’s always worth a trip to the Scottish Highlands to try and seek out Nessie!
- There are over forty different dialects in the UK, most of which are completely different from each other. Someone from London could have great difficulty understanding a strong Scottish accent, and vice versa. These dialects date back to when there were multiple different settlements all across the UK.
- Stonehenge is older than the Pyramids! Dating back to roughly 3000BC, Stonehenge was created almost five hundred years before the Pyramids, and yet we still don’t know for certain why they were built. The Stonehenge site remains popular, with over eight hundred thousand visitors making the trip there each year – it’s well worth a visit!
- The British drink more than 60 billion cups of tea a year – that’s around 100 million each day! You’ll definitely need a brew (that’s what most Northerners call a cup of tea) once you’ve managed to travel to the UK safely and unpacked your belongings,
If you’re struggling to complete the required travel documents due to language barriers, we’re always here to help, so please don’t hesitate to contact us and we’ll be happy to make your trip as easy as it can be!
