COVID-19 Travel Restrictions: UK and Europe
NAVIGATING BORDER CLOSURES, QUARANTINE AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS
Travel to the Schengen Area
The Schengen Area includes 26 European countries which have abolished their internal borders to allow free travel between them. These countries include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. For the avoidance of doubt, the United Kingdom is not and has never been part of the Schengen Area.
While the Schengen Area's internal borders were re-instated to prevent intra-country travel during the Coronavirus pandemic, these restrictions have now been eased and internal border checks have been removed since 15 June 2020. In addition, European Union (EU) citizens and their family members are permitted to travel into the Schengen Area even where they have been overseas (e.g. in the US). To confirm, the EU will continue to include the United Kingdom until 31 December 2020.
The Schengen Area’s external borders continue to be closed to all ‘Third Country Nationals’ apart from certain countries which the European Council has determined to be ‘safe’. As a result, non-essential travel (including tourism) into the Schengen Area is now permitted for residents of the following countries:
EU countries, including the United Kingdom until 31 December 2020. Residents of Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican should also be considered as EU residents for this purpose.
Algeria
Australia
Canada
Georgia
Japan
Montenegro
Morocco
New Zealand
Rwanda
Serbia
South Korea
Thailand
Tunisia
Uruguay
China, subject to confirmation of reciprocity.
To confirm, the US is not on the above list and residents of the US cannot currently travel into the Schengen Area unless another exemption applies (e.g. if they are an EU citizen). There are some provisions for US citizens to travel into the Schengen Area where they can show they are resident of one of the permitted countries above (and hold a valid long-term resident permit for that country) – for example a US citizen resident in the UK, with a long-term UK visa.
There are also provisions made for individuals who are transiting airside, or who must travel for ‘essential’ purposes e.g. a family emergency or to provide medical assistance to the relevant country.
It is important to check the border restrictions for the relevant Schengen Area country carefully before travelling, as each country does have nuanced requirements and may have chosen to individually limit countries on the above list and/or allow countries which are not on the above list. It is also worth bearing in mind that visa requirements remain in place and are dependent on the traveller’s nationality (not country of residence, as above).
Travel to the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom’s borders have remained open throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, including to ‘high risk’ countries such as the US and China. It is also not necessary to show that the trip is ‘essential’ i.e. travel for purely touristic purposes is permitted.
There is, however, a 14 day quarantine requirement placed on many individuals entering the UK. This quarantine requirement includes providing journey and contact details to the UK’s Border Force, and the individual must not leave that address for 14 days (apart from limited exceptions). There are slightly different self-isolation rules and penalties for non-compliance depending on whether the individual is travelling to England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
People who have been present in the following countries for the last 14 days or more before travelling to England will not be required to self-isolate for 14 days (but will still need to provide their journey and contact details):
The Common Travel Area (Ireland, The Channel Islands, The Isle of Man);
British Overseas Territories;
From 10 July 2020, the ‘Travel Corridor Countries’ – a list of which can be found here. This list may be updated with limited notice, so it is important to check directly before travelling.
It is worth noting that transit stops in countries not on the above list before entering England will re-instate the quarantine requirement where any new passengers board or existing passengers dis-embark before re-boarding during the transit stop.
Time spent in the above countries which does not amount to 14 days will be subtracted from the quarantine time required (e.g. if someone travels from the US to Ireland, stays there for 10 days then travels on to England, they will then only need to complete four more days of quarantine in England).
Even if an individual is travelling from a country not on the above list, there are certain exemptions from the requirement to self-quarantine depending on the purpose of their trip. These exemptions are updated fairly regularly and a current list can be found here.
Finally, it is important to check whether a visa is required before travelling to the UK – this is determined based on the individual’s nationality as well as the intended length of their stay and their planned activities in the UK. The UK’s visa requirements remain unchanged, apart from certain temporary Coronavirus-related provisions for people who have been stuck in the UK.
Contact Us
The above is intended as a summary only, and the information is accurate as at 10 July 2020. The situation is fluid and subject to change, so we strongly recommend seeking advice before you travel.
Please contact us if you need assistance – we would be pleased to advise further.