Truck drivers and UK-France quarantine

If you are referring to the obligatory quarantine which is due to begin in the UK from June 8 – then the answer is no as truck drivers are listed as one of the group of people who are exempt from this measure.

Otherwise everyone – including Britons returning from trips and holidays abroad - must self-isolate for 14 days on arrival. Trips are possible for less than 14 days but quarantine is needed for all the trip (see article here).

Visitors must complete an online form giving their contact details and details of their travel plan. They can be fined £100 if they refuse to give these details.

They will not be allowed to go out, even for food shopping unless no one else can do it for them. They should not have visitors and should avoid contact with the people they are staying with if they are staying with friends and family.

There could be checks and breaches will be punishable with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice in England. In some cases, it could involve potential prosecution and an unlimited fine. Other parts of the UK can set their own enforcement rules.

The list of people who are exempt from the quarantine rule includes, in addition to lorry drivers: people travelling from Ireland, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man; members of diplomatic missions and consular posts in the UK, representatives of international organisations and their families or dependents; Eurotunnel train drivers and crew; drivers and crew of trains operated by Eurostar International Limited; nuclear personnel who are essential to the safe and secure operations of a licensed nuclear site; postal workers involved in the transport of mail into and out of the UK…

The full list can be found here.

Truck drivers travelling from the UK to France are also exempt from the voluntary quarantine proposed by France.

Exemptions are: persons in transit to another country; crew members and persons operating passenger and cargo flights, or travelling as a passenger to position themselves at their base of departure; persons engaged in the international carriage of goods; drivers and crew members of coaches and trains; crew members and persons operating commercial and fishing vessels; foreign health professionals involved in the fight against Covid-19; the staff of diplomatic and consular missions, as well as of international organizations with headquarters or offices in France, as well as their spouses and children; cross-border workers; people travelling for an urgent family reason such as the custody of a child or for a funeral.

To return to France, you will also need to fill an international travel form available here, and tick the right box for your case.