Test To Release for International Travel scheme

The Test to Release for International Travel scheme starts 15 December.

If you are only allowed to leave self-isolation for work-related activities in England, you can choose to take a coronavirus test under the Test to Release scheme. If you test negative you would be able to end your self-isolation.

Jobs that qualify for travel exemptions

To help protect the country from coronavirus, people entering the UK must:

• complete a passenger locator form before travel to the UK
• self-isolate if they’ve been in a non-exempt country or territory in the 10 days before they arrive in the UK
• follow any local or national restrictions:
  • local restriction tiers in England
  • national restrictions in Northern Ireland
  • local protection levels in Scotland 
  • travel: Coronavirus in Wales

Some people don’t have to fill in a passenger locator form or self-isolate on arrival in the UK, because of the jobs they do.

This guidance lists the jobs that qualify for an exemption and tells people:

• if they need to self-isolate
• if they need to complete a passenger locator form
• any conditions they will need to meet or evidence they will need to show

Travel corridors

Travel corridors apply to countries or territories, not types of job. There is separate guidance for travel corridors – see below.

If you are arriving in the UK from a country that is on the travel corridor list, you may not have to self-isolate.

You will still have to complete the passenger locator form and follow any national restrictions in place.

There are different rules for travel corridors depending on whether you are:

• arriving in England
• arriving in Northern Ireland
• arriving in Scotland
• arriving in Wales

Legislation

This guidance provides a high level summary of the international travel regulations.