UK travel rules: What are the new Covid restrictions – rules in full

Priti Patel: UK co-operation has been ‘strong’ on travel

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons passengers entering the UK from the Government’s ‘red list’ of countries will be sent to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days. The Prime Minister said travellers will be “met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine”. A travel industry insider said the list of destinations this will apply to includes all countries in South America, southern Africa and Portugal. Kenya, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria are also potential contenders. 

Mr Johnson also revealed the UK’s ban on leisure travel will be enforced at both airports and ports. 

He said: “I want to make clear that, under the stay-at-home regulations, it is illegal to leave home to travel abroad for leisure purposes and we will enforce this at airports by asking people why they are leaving and instructing them to return him if they don’t have a valid reason to travel. “

It is understood airlines will be told to ask people about their reason for travelling before allowing them to even board flights. 

Firms are liable for huge fines if they fail to comply with the Government rules on this issue. 

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What are the new travel rules?

Home Secretary Priti Patel has issued new rules for the border. 

The Home Secretary told the Commons: “It is clear that there are still too many people coming in and out of our country each day. 

“And today, I am announcing further action to strong then the health measures we already have at the border. 

“But to reduce passenger flow so that only a small number of people for whom it is absolutely essential to travel are doing so and therefore reducing the risk to our world-leading vaccine programme.”

Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Patel said: “Firstly, the police have stepped up checks and are carrying out more physical checks at addresses to ensure that people are complying with the self-isolation rules. 

“Second, we will continue to refuse entry to non-UK residents from red-list countries which are already subject to the UK travel ban. 

“Third, as the Prime Minister has said, we will introduce a new managed isolation process in hotels for those who cannot be refused entry, including those arriving home from countries where we have already imposed international travel bans. 

“They will be required to isolate for 10 days without exception and the Department for Health and Social Care will set out further details on this approach next week.”

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The Home Secretary said going on holiday “is not a valid reason” to ignore the stay-at-home rules issued by the Government. 

Ms Patel told MPs: “For those travelling out of the UK we will also be enhancing and stepping up enforcement rules. 

“Because despite the stay-at-home regulations we are still seeing people not complying with these rules. The rules are clear, people should be staying at home unless they have a valid reason to leave. 

“Going on holiday is not a valid reason, so we will introduce a new requirement so that people wishing to travel must first make a declaration as to why they need to travel. 

“This reason for travel will be checked by carriers prior to departure and this approach effectively mirrors the checks on arrivals that are already in place with the passenger locator form.”

The new rules according to Priti Patel: 

• Police will ramp up physical checks at home addresses to ensure people are quarantining
• Entry into Britain for non-UK residents from red-list countries is banned 
• New isolation process in hotels for passengers coming in 
• Airlines and ports will have the power to quiz people on where they’re going and why

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