Traveling Brits to be required to carry form indicating travel is essential or face $276 fine
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
The U.K. will soon require all passengers to fill out a declaration that their outbound travel is essential. And if they don’t do so, they may be fined as much as £200 (about $276).
As of Monday, Britons who are looking to travel abroad must have with them a travel declaration form, indicating that they’re traveling for essential reasons. The form must be downloaded, completed and signed prior to travel, and the traveler must also carry the completed document with them.
Sign up to receive the daily TPG newsletter for more travel news!
According to the Department for Transport, travel providers will be expected to check travelers’ documents before boarding — either at check-in or at the departure gate.
“Passengers who do not have a valid form may be denied access to their booked service,” the Department for Transport said. “Carriers will also be legally obliged to set out on their website that the form must be completed before traveling.”
The government said police officers will be conducting spot checks. If a traveler fails to provide their completed form, they could be fined £200 and up to £6,400 (about $8,841) for breaking the stay-at-home rule.
Home Secretary Priti Patel first announced in January that all travelers departing the U.K. will be required to fill out a declaration, enforced by the travel provider. However, Friday’s announcement means that the government can fine travellers for not doing so.
The U.K. has been under strict lockdown since Jan. 5. As such, all non-essential travel has been deemed illegal — regardless of whether it’s international or domestic travel.
Last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled England’s roadmap out of lockdown. In it, Johnson detailed that domestic staycations could return from April 12 at the earliest when holiday lets will be permitted to reopen.
Related: Boris Johnson outlines the UK’s roadmap out of lockdown
International travel, as well as hotels and hostels within England, may be permitted to reopen on May 17 at the earliest. A new iteration of the Global Travel Taskforce first met this week to determine how international travel may return and in what capacity. The group will reveal their plans to the prime minister by April 12.
The U.K. already requires that arriving passengers fill out a passenger locator form and have a negative COVID-19 test prior to departure. Additionally, all travelers are required to quarantine for 10 days — some in a government-supervised hotel — and take a COVID-19 test on days two and eight of quarantine.
Featured photo by Joseph Okpako/Getty Images.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 80,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,650
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 2X points on all travel and dining, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Plus earn up to $50 in statement credits towards grocery store purchases within your first year of account opening.
- Earn 2X points on dining including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 80,000 points are worth $1,000 toward travel.
- With Pay Yourself Back℠, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories.
- Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash's subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV. No fitness equipment is required.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.