New Testing, Self-Isolation, and Quarantine Rules

Anyone arriving in the United Kingdom from 15 February will need to either:

• Self-isolate in the place that they are staying for ten days or
• Quarantine in a Government approved hotel for 10 days

There is a growing concern over the virulence of new variants emerging around the world, travel is banned altogether from 33 countries. The UAE, Burundi and Rwanda became the latest additions to the UK’s ‘red list’.  Travel from these destinations is forbidden for anyone except British and Irish citizens plus official UK residents. All other travellers will now be turned away at the border.

Direct flights from the UAE have been cancelled and anyone who can travel will have to take a connecting flight. This means that passengers must provide a negative test result on arrival.  This should have been taken within the past 72 hours, and, they must produce a ‘passenger locator form’ or face two, separate £500 fines.

For the moment, all travellers must self-isolate for ten days at home. The ‘test to release’ scheme, which allows you to test again and leave quarantine after five days, does not apply to ‘red list’ countries.

Here is the full ‘red list’ of countries subject to the UK’s travel ban:

• Angola
• Argentina
• Bolivia
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Burundi
• Cape Verde
• Chile
• Colombia
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Ecuador
• Eswatini
• French Guiana
• Guyana
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores)
• Rwanda
• Seychelles
• South Africa
• Suriname
• Tanzania
• United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Uruguay
• Venezuela
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

The UK’s Department for Transport will not allow any travel whatsoever from these “red listed” countries, for any reason.

From Monday 15 February, UK nationals or residents returning to England from the 33 listed countries must spend 10 days in Government designated accommodation at a cost of £1,750 for an individual .

Anyone trying to flout the quarantine rules will face a fine of up to £10,000.  Travellers will face jail if they lie about their holiday destination.