Quarantine Exemption Limited to Eligible Business Activities
December 7, 2020
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At a Glance
- Since December 5, senior executives travelling to England can temporarily cease to self-isolate during the 14-day quarantine period if they participate in eligible business activities.
- Eligible activities are those with more than a 50% chance of creating or preserving at least 50 UK-based jobs; or those that result in a GBP 100 million purchase of goods or services from a UK-based business. Additionally, the traveler must not be able to perform the activities remotely.
- The exemption only covers the duration of the eligible activities. Travelers must self-isolate for the remainder of their stay.
The situation
Since December 5, senior executives travelling to England can temporarily cease to self-isolate during the 14-day quarantine period if they participate in eligible business activities that cannot be performed remotely.
A closer look
Key considerations of the exemption include the following:
- Eligible occupations. The exemption is available to senior multinational, returning and/or international executives.
- Eligible activities. The exemption covers business activities that have more than a 50% chance of:
- Creating or preserving at least 50 UK-based jobs in an existing UK-based business with at least 50 employees, or a new UK business, within one year of arrival; or
- Resulting in the purchase of goods or services from a UK-based business with at least 50 employees, in an order worth at least GBP 100 million or likely to create or preserve 50 or more jobs in that business.
- Exemption only covers eligible activities. The exemption only covers activities that cannot be performed remotely, and only applies for the duration of these activities. For the remainder of stay, individuals must continue to self-isolate for the remainder of the 14-day quarantine period currently required in the United Kingdom.
- Support letter required. Travelers seeking to utilize this exemption must carry a support letter signed by a senior executive of the relevant UK-based business.
Further details of the exemption are published on this site.
Impact
Senior executives can once again perform limited business activities for economically significant projects, in recognition of the vital function of such activities in rebuilding the UK economy after the pandemic.
Background
Throughout the pandemic, the United Kingdom has opted against travel restrictions, and implemented quarantine exemptions for essential workers. The current exemption reflects a regional trend of looking for safe options to permit business travel to resume.
Looking ahead
The United Kingdom is starting a national vaccination program this week. It is expected that travel and quarantine restrictions will be eased for vaccinated travelers as more countries start vaccinations.
Effective December 15, the United Kingdom will additionally permit travelers to reduce the quarantine duration by taking a COVID-19 test after five days of self-isolation.
For up-to-date information on COVID-19-related travel bans, restrictions and concessions, among other information, check Fragomen’s dedicated website.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected]
