Arrival in the UK
From 18 January 2021, and until further notice, every person is subject to self-isolation ('quarantine') rules after arrival in the UK. See Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel corridors for information in England, and for links to information in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Up until 18 January, people who were well and had come from one of the countries listed in the above link did not have to self-isolate. The links between exempted countries and the UK were known as 'travel corridors' and they changed very regularly at short notice. Travel corridors may well start to be reintroduced again but not for the foreseeable future.
Upon arrival in the UK, you will have to provide details of your location in the UK.
There are exemptions from the need to self-isolate but students, as a group, are not exempt.
Additionally, from 18 January 2021, and until further notice, every person is required to obtain a negative Covid-19 test result before being allowed to travel to the UK. See Returning to the UK in early 2021 (Recently updated) (above).
For information about how the need to self-isolate affects BRP collection and police registration, see details in the relevant sections above.
What does self-isolation involve?
You have to provide your journey and contact details on an online form 48 hours or less before you travel to the UK and you will not be allowed to leave the place where you are staying in the UK for a specified period, usually of 10 days, except in very limited situations.
If you travel to England on or after 15 December, you can choose to use a Test to Release scheme. This involves signing up before travel to the UK to take a private test no earlier than five days after arrival. If the test shows that you are not infected, you may end your self-isolation when you receive the results - see government guidance.
These periods of self-isolation means that if you intend to come to the UK for study, you must take into account these extra days of not being able to attend classes, see other people or leave your accommodation except for very limited reasons. There is no end date yet for these measures.
It is very important that you contact your education provider before you decide to travel to the UK. This is so that you can check what support you will receive during these first days, including accommodation, food, online facilities for induction, orientation, meeting tutors and other students and many other matters. Universities, colleges and schools will help you during this time, so it's vital that they know what you plan to do and where you will be staying. Guidance on self-isolation for students arriving in the UK is a publication aimed at education providers, and gives you some idea of how your institution might support you.
Full details about self-isolation are in government guidance:
England: how to self-isolate on arrival in the UK and Test to release
Scotland: Reduction in self-isolation
Wales: How to self-isolate when you travel
Northern Ireland: Coronavirus COVID-19 travel advice
Travel in the UK
You must wear a face covering, which includes masks, if you use public transport in the UK. This includes trains, buses, trams, coaches, ferries, underground, planes, cable cars.
Gov.uk Travel safely during the coronavirus outbreak
Gov.uk Social distancing (and social contact)
Leaving the UK
Government advice is that you should not travel unless it is essential, with some exempt destinations. 'Essential' is not defined, but it is clear that you should avoid travel as far as possible, particularly during times of tighter restrictions and lockdown. You must not travel if you have symptoms of the illness or have been in contact with people who may be infected.
You might want to leave because you are worried about the situation in the UK. Please check travel advice for the UK country in which you are living, as well as the country you want to travel to, before you make a decision.
In England, see Higher education students considering overseas travel for non-educational purposes during period of national restrictions, which states:
"International students currently in England can return home, subject to any restrictions in place at their destination. Being outside of one’s home for the purposes of outbound travel to one’s country of nationality or residence can be considered a reasonable excuse under the regulations".
In Scotland, see Coronavirus (COVID-19): student home visits.
For information about travelling abroad at the moment, see Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice. Although it is aimed at British citizens, most of it is relevant to everyone who is resident in the UK. It also provides an overview of what's happening in other countries at the same link; choose the country you want to travel to and then select 'Coronavirus'. Country-specific information appears under the box near the top of the page
Many countries have different travel restrictions and rules about self-isolation and quarantine. Check with the country you want to travel to and if information is confusing or does not sound right, try to find out what the embassy says. Some countries might make exceptions to travel bans for nationals and residents - check if you can register for alerts about repatriation with your country's embassy or high commission in the UK. Universities, colleges and schools in the UK often have links with embassies and may be able to help you. Unfortunately, we do not have those contacts. Some countries require evidence that you have not tested positive for COVID-19 before you can board a plane to travel there. The NHS does not provide free tests for travel so you will need to pay for a test privately.
Money Saving Expert provides advice about the options available to you if your flight is cancelled or you need to cancel travel, also insurance and refunds.
What have we changed? We last updated this section on 18 January 2021 to refresh links to government information and update with new self-isolation ('quarantine') requirements.
