Falkland Islands Government
COVID-19: Information and Guidance

19 January 2021

Changes to northbound travel requirements from the Falkland Islands to the UK

On Friday 15 January, the UK government announced some new travel requirements for passengers entering the country from 4am on Monday 18 January. Over the weekend, the Falkland Islands Government worked closely with the FCDO to seek clarity on whether these changes would apply to travellers heading north on the airbridge. The decision was also taken to swab test all passengers booked on the 19 January flight as a precaution and while we were awaiting further information.

The UK government has since confirmed the following changes:

  • All travel corridors into the UK are now suspended. This means that passengers travelling north to the UK from the Falkland Islands will now be required to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival in the UK – including people who have had a recent negative swab test result
  • People can opt into a ‘Test to Release’ scheme to potentially reduce their self-isolation period by paying for a private test, more information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-test-to-release-for-international-travel
  • People travelling to the UK to attend a pre-arranged medical appointment will be able to travel to and from their healthcare provider and their UK accommodation, but otherwise will be required to self-isolate. If they are bringing a carer or companion with them, then that person will also be able to travel between their accommodation and healthcare setting. Patients are recommended to carry their appointment information with them at all times.
  • The UK now requires most people to have proof of a negative coronavirus test in order to travel to England. However, people travelling from the Falkland Islands have now been exempted from this requirement.

Travellers must still complete a passenger locator form before entering the UK – failure to do so could result in a £500 fine – the form can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk

The new emergency border control measures have been introduced in order to protect the UK against new variants of Covid-19 and are expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future. This urgent action is in response to increasing concern over the transmissibility and virulence of new strains evolving internationally. All of the latest information on these new measures can be found on the UK government website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus