You only have one eye on the news to see that there are many opportunities for foreign travel this summer. However, it is essential to remember that there may still be a risk of travel disruption as COVID-19 restrictions may be reintroduced at short notice. So, if you are planning to travel abroad, you should plan carefully and be prepared that your itinerary may change.
The UK government has removed all COVID-19 travel restrictions for passengers arriving in the UK. This means no traveller arriving in the UK needs to complete a passenger locator form or take a COVID-19 test.
However, contingency plans enable the UK government to quickly reinstate COVID-related travel restrictions to prevent any harmful variants of Coronavirus from entering the UK – should the need to do so arise.
Suppose you are planning to travel abroad this summer. In that case, you should be aware that although there are currently no COVID-related travel restrictions on arrival in the UK, other countries may have COVID-related travel restrictions. So you may need to comply with these requirements.
Advice for travellers this summer
The UK government has produced an excellent guide for travellers entitled: “Travel Abroad from England during coronavirus (COVID_19)”, which explains all of the requirements Uk residents need to know to plan safe international travel.
General advice for preventing the spread of COVID-19 includes:
- ensuring everyone in your family is up-to-date with their COVID-19 vaccination course and booster
- check and follow the local requirements for face coverings for the country you are visiting
- check and follow the social distancing guidelines for the country you are visiting
Before you travel
Keep up to date with the latest official advice concerning COVID-19 restrictions in the country you depart from and travel to on the FCDO “Foreign Travel Advice” pages. All countries may impose COVID-related travel restrictions without notice.
It is still possible that some countries may still require you to take a COVID-19 test before or on arrival in the country you are visiting. You should carry an official record of any test results, as you may be asked for these at check-in, border control or any point on your trip.
If required, you should also obtain proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status for your trip, as you may be asked for it. The documentation you need to prove your vaccination status will probably differ from country to country, so you should check the FCDO foreign travel advice for your destination to see which domestic control measures are in place if any.
It would also be a good idea to check any impact COVID-19 may have on your travel insurance, including any travel restrictions and costs for illness abroad. You can get information on travel insurance implications of COVID-19 from The Association of British Insurers (ABI).
During travel and at your destination
During your trip and when you are at your chosen destination, you should follow the COVID-19 restrictions of the country you are visiting. This may include monitoring or testing at the point of entry and exit.
Returning to the UK
The UK Government removed all COVID-19 international travel restrictions for arriving passengers on 18th March 2022.
However, rules are subject to change, so you should check them regularly to ensure you have not missed any new information.
