• Mandatory pre-departure testing for all international arrivals to England will come into effect world-wide from 15 January 2021, including for passengers departing from Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis and St Vincent & the Grenadines. A limited exemption has been granted until 21 January, 0400 GMT, for arrivals from Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda and St Lucia, to help Britons in these countries return home.

• In-bound passengers to England will need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken no more than 3 days before departure.

The UK Government has confirmed that mandatory pre-departure testing for all inbound passengers to England will come into force from Friday 15 January 2021, as an added measure to safeguard public health against coronavirus and its variants.

A limited exemption has been granted until Thursday 21 January, 0400 GMT, to help Britons in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados and St Lucia return home. This decision reflects current infrastructure challenges in these countries, including limited COVID-19 testing capacity and heightened demand for tests.

Persons arriving into England from these three islands from 0400 GMT on 21 January onward will be required to comply in full with the new requirements. Visitors are strongly encouraged to use this time to review and clarify their plans for return to England, including considering options to revise flight departures and – if necessary – put in place suitable arrangements for qualifying pre departure tests.

In preparation for travel, passengers will need to find a testing provider which meets the standards set out on by the UK Government, the majority of which will be Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests. Full details of requirements will be available at www.gov.uk.

Prior to departure, passengers will be required to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test result taken no more than three days before departing to transport operators, as well as their passenger locator form. Carriers may deny boarding to those who do not have a negative test result. 

The UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrival into England. Passengers who arrive at the border without proof of a negative result will be subject to an immediate £500 fine. 

The current advice for persons in the UK remains that they must stay at home and not travel abroad unless it is for a permitted exempt reason.