From Monday March 8, 2021 anyone travelling overseas from England will have to prove that they are allowed to travel. In case of unavailability of proof, people will be at the risk of being sent away from the airport or will be duly fined by the authorities.
According to the UK government, travelers will need to complete a "Declaration to Travel" document from a government website. Passengers will have to declare that their trip is permitted under current restrictions, such as for education or work. Spot on checks will be carried out by police officers and they will be required to produce this form.
In case passengers fail to produce a completed form, they could face a £200 fine, the Department for Transport warned. The form must be downloaded from the government's website, signed before travel and carried or downloaded on to a mobile phone. The fines start at £200 and soar to a maximum of £6,400.
In a statement on the official website, the UK government stated: “You must complete this form if you are travelling outside the UK from England. Different rules apply for international travel from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. You don’t need to complete the form for travel within the UK, to Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man.
You should print a copy of the completed form or save it to a mobile phone or other device. You may be asked to show this declaration form at the port of departure. You may carry evidence to support your reason for travel. Entering a port of departure to travel internationally without a completed form is a criminal offence, for which you could be fined. If you try to travel abroad without a legally permitted reason, you may also be fined for breaching the stay at home requirements. You do not need to complete the form yourself if you are under the age of 18 or if you lack capacity to complete the form. If a responsible adult is travelling with you, they should complete a separate copy of the form on your behalf. Some people are exempt from completing the declaration form because of the job they do. Find out about which jobs are exempt and the conditions that apply.”
The current lockdown restrictions implemented by the government state that it is illegal to travel abroad without a permitted reason, such as for work, volunteering, education, medical grounds or funerals. As per Boris Johnson’s roadmap for coronavirus lockdown, currently foreign holidays for people in England will not be permitted before 17 May.
