French quarantine: Is it being lifted for all of the UK?

With England set to lift its obligatory quarantine requirement for arrivals from France from this Friday – July 10 – France is expected to follow suit immediately with regard to its voluntary quarantine requirement.

However Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have not announced any lifting of their quarantine requirements for those coming into their territories from abroad.

The website of the French consulate in London notes the fact these three countries are retaining the quarantine requirement and also states on the same page: “For travellers coming from European countries whose authorities have decided, in an uncoordinated way, to apply a quarantine measure to travellers entering their territory from European countries, a voluntary quarantine will be asked for, by reciprocity”.

The UK has been treated as ‘European’ with regard to coronavirus travel rules due to the Brexit transition period during which it remains in the single market and customs union.

We therefore understand that travellers taking off from airports such as Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast remain subject to the French voluntary quarantine until such a time as the countries individually lift their quarantine rules.

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