United Kingdom

Travel restrictions

International regulations Statewide regulations

International Travel

Under current UK restrictions, people in the Uk must stay at home and must not travel without a legally permitted reason. It is illegal to travel abroad for holidays or other leisure purposes. Anyone who wishes to return to England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland from abroad, including UK nationals returning home, must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken up to 3 days before departure.

Those returning to the UK must provide their journey and contact details, and self-isolate upon arrival from any country except Ireland.

Americans in the UK should know that starting on July 27, the United States Embassy in London is resuming certain immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services including immigrant visas for spouses and children of US citizens, and F-1 and M-1 student visas. The same applies for the US Consulate General in Belfast starting on August 3. Routine visa services will resume when it’s safe to do so. Those with scheduled visa interview appointments will receive notice from the Visa Appointment Service about potential postponement dates. The MRV fee is valid and may be used for a visa application in the country where it was purchased within one year of the date of payment.

UK visa applicants and temporary residents should consult this page for instructions.

Travel restrictions for people coming from outside United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is not currently implementing any entry restrictions, but is monitoring direct flights into the country from certain areas.

As of November 5th, traveling internationally away from England is restricted except in limited circumstances. See the full details here. Different rules apply in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Travelers must follow all the rules that apply to them. All travelers entering the United Kingdom must present a completed "Public Health Passenger Locator Form" to immigration upon arrival. Review the UK government’s entry requirements here. Certain areas of the UK and Crown Dependencies may have specific travel regulations. Check the relevant page for information related to travel to Jersey, Isle of Man, Shetland, and Orkney.

Exemptions

The United Kingdom is not currently implementing any entry restrictions, but a mandatory 14 day quarantine is in place for travelers except freight workers, medical professionals traveling to help with the fight against coronavirus, and travelers arriving from Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Quarantine policy

All travelers arriving from outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man must self-isolate for 10 days. Travel corridors of exempted countries have been suspended as of January 18, 2021.

Destinations you can travel to now

For those destinations that may have current travel advisories issued by authorities, we’re including alerts on our site when you search that will let you know there could be an issue with your route.

Domestic travel

The UK government has created local COVID alert levels to set out information about what to do and how to manage the outbreak in an area. Local COVID alert levels are sometimes called ‘tiers’ or known as a ‘local lockdown’. Click here for full details.

The local COVID alert levels are medium, high, and very high. Requirements vary by level, but the following rules apply across all of them: wear a mask in areas where it's mandated, follow social distancing rules, work from home when possible, and when traveling, plan ahead, avoid busy times and routes, and walk or cycle if possible. See if this applies to your area here.
Embassy and consulate contact information
Website: US Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom
Phone number: U.S. Embassy London +44 (0) 207-499-9000

Quick answers

No – there are no official travel restrictions for entering the UK, but many airports have temporarily suspended services and closed terminals. Many airlines have also grounded their planes. More
No – there are no official travel restrictions for traveling within the UK, but many airports have temporarily suspended services and closed terminals, and some restrictions are in place for businesses and gatherings. See the Domestic Travel section of this page for full details. More
No – the UK border is not closed. However, travelers should consider the mandatory 14 day quarantine requirement in their travel plans. The full list of exempted countries is located on this page. More
Airport services may vary across the country, so check with your departure or arrival airport in the UK for more information before confirming your itinerary. More
If you arrive in England from anywhere outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man you will need to self-isolate for 10 days. More
Yes and no – the UK government has established a tiered system of COVID alert levels that apply to local areas. See the full list of details here and see if this applies to your area here. More
For press enquiries, corrections and any data-related questions, please email us at travel-restrictions@kayak.com.
If you’re looking for personalised travel advice, like whether or not you should travel, please consult your local government’s resources (we won’t be able to offer advice).