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Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and managed isolation (quarantine)
Overview
Overview
This guide is for people returning to or arriving in Scotland and includes information about how to quarantine (either in managed self-isolation or when self-isolating at your accommodation).
Under current COVID-19 restrictions, it is illegal to travel abroad for holidays and other leisure purposes. This will change, but we are certain that this will not be possible before 17 May and maybe for some time after.
Going abroad
You can only travel abroad if you have an essential reason to do so. You must not travel abroad on holiday.
You should only travel to Scotland if you have an essential reason to do so. At the moment, holidays are not a legal reason to travel.
If you do have an essential reason to travel from abroad, it is likely you will need to isolate in a hotel or at home in Scotland for at least 10 days after you arrive. What you need to do depends on whether your journey is directly to Scotland or not.
The situation is evolving worldwide, so it is important that you check all guidance before you travel.
Travel within Scotland and to other parts of the UK
Scotland uses a protection levels system to determine what you can do in each area. See guidance on travel.
Central Enquiry Unit
Email: ceu@gov.scot
Phone: 0300 244 4000
The Scottish Government
St Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
First published:30 Apr 2021Last updated:7 May 2021 - show all updates
Changes made to links for seasonal migrant workers. Also minor amendments made to what you must do and sectoral exemptions pages to add links to ctm portal and north hotels.
Made sectoral exemptions page testing criteria clearer.
Information on getting help to pay for your hotel quarantine updated.
Line added to information note on sectoral exemptions page about booking of testing packages.
Sectoral exemptions amended because the existing exemption for ‘transporting human cells or blood’ will be extended to arrivals from all countries effective from 4am on Friday 23 April.
India added to list of acute risk countries as of 4am on Friday 23 April.
Added Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and Philippines to list of acute risk countries as of 4am on Friday 9 April.
Added information box and link and updated seamen section in sectoral exemptions, update to covid testing in travelling to England in managed and self-isolation page.
Clarification of testing for children aged 11 or over in the boarding schools section.
Updates to the boarding schools/children under 18 section in sectoral exemptions.
sectoral exemptions (seamen) section updated.
Addition of boarding school pupils and children under 18 travelling without an adult to sectoral exemptions page
Updated phone number in managed and self isolation section.
Update to section on seamen, masters of ships, ship inspectors or surveyors of ships in sectoral exemptions.
Updated the text relating exemptions to aircraft pilots or crew and seamen etc in relation to travel from acute risk countries
Removed Mauritius and Portugal from acute risk countries and added: Ethiopia, Oman, Qatar and Somalia.
Revised layout to make it clearer.
Added information about previous positive test results to testing for people travelling to Scotland section.
Removed Falkland Islands from list of acute list countries.
Added Myanmar to list of exemptions in testing for people travelling to Scotland section.
Added links to supplementary agricultural advice.
Change made to introductory paragraph of managed isolation guidance page.
All pages updated and new content added on managed isolation.
Link added to booking portal from key facts page.
Sectoral exemptions page updated.
Key facts and what you must do pages updated.
Added new section on arrival from Burundi, Rwanda and the UAE.
List of country exemptions removed.
Added suspended information to film and tv sectoral exemption.
List of exempt countries removed following the suspension of travel corridors.
Country exemptions page and key facts page updated to reflect the fact that the travel corridors have been suspended until further notice.
Added new section on testing for people travelling to Scotland.
Updated travel information for Brazil, Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba and Qatar
Key facts page amended to include information about requirement to have a valid negative COVID-19 test result, taken no more than three days before the scheduled time of departure.
Added information re United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Added information on arrivals from Dubai to the exemptions page.
Updates on travel advice for: Israel and Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Israel
Caution note added to key facts page regarding travel restrictions from the UK.
Updated country exemptions page to reference arrivals from Namibia, Uruguay and US Virgin Islands.
Updated to reflect change in self-isolation period from 14 to 10 days.
Updated to reflect changes including addition of Botswana and Saudi Arabia and removal of Canary Islands from 04:00o on 12/12/21.
Updated country exemptions page to reflect latest position.
Various changes to the list of country exemptions.
Updated exemptions page to reflect recent changes
Changes to various country exemptions.
Changes to travel rules covering Denmark.
Removed Denmark from list of exempt countries.
Updated travel information for Germany and Sweden.
Updated travel information for Cyprus and Lithuania.
Regulations page updated
Updated travel information for the Canary Islands, Denmark, the Maldives and Mykonos, and Liechtenstein.
Updated travel information for Greece and Italy.
Updated travel information for Madeira and Azores; Poland, Turkey and the Caribbean islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Updated travel information for Curacao, Denmark, Iceland and Slovakia.
Updated travel information for Singapore, Thailand, Slovenia and Guatemala.
Updates to Overview and Regulations pages.
Updated travel information for Sweden, Hungary and La Reunion
Updated travel information for Portugal and French Polynesia.
Updated travel information for Greece.
Added Cuba, removed Czech Republic and Jamaica.
Changed number of exempt UK overseas territories from 14 to 13 and added note to Portugal.
Removed Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago and added Portugal.
Add notes for Austria, Croatia, Switzerland, Trinidad & Tobago and Portugal.
Country exemptions: removed France, The Netherlands, Aruba, Turks and Caicos, Malta and Monaco
Country exemptions: removed Andorra, The Bahamas and Belgium from list.
Country exemptions: added info re Andorra, The Bahamas and Belgium.
Removed Luxembourg from the exemptions list.
Self isolation advice changed from 7 to 10 days
Added Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Slovenia and St Vincent and the Grenadines to the exemptions list.
Removed Spain to the exemptions list.
Added Spain to the exemptions list.
Added in links to the sectoral exemptions page to guidance for seasonal workers and elite sports.
Changes to exemptions and sectoral exemptions pages to reflect the 'travel corridor'.
Revised with country and sector specific information updates.
Added link to news item detailing countries where rules do not apply
