Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on travel and transport

To minimise the risk of spreading the virus, we should all stay at home as much as possible and avoid unnecessary travel. By law, in a Level 4 area, you can only leave your home (or garden) for an essential purpose.

Read the stay at home guidance.

• international travel (outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)
• travelling around Scotland
• travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
• exceptions
• travelling safely

To suppress the spread of COVID-19, including the new variant, it is essential that, with limited exceptions, there is no travel to or from areas where higher numbers of people may be carrying the virus. This is why we have introduced a legal requirement to stay at home unless you live in Orkney; Shetland; the following islands within Argyll and Bute: Coll, Colonsay, Erraid, Gometra, Iona, Islay, Jura, Mull, Oronsay, Tiree, and Ulva; and all islands in Highland, with the exception of Skye, which will remain at Level 3.

To avoid that, to keep everyone safe, please comply with the rules and advice set out below.

These rules will be kept under review and if the prevalence of the virus in all, or part of, any of these countries reduces it may be possible to relax these restrictions for some areas.

If you have to travel for essential purposes, follow the guidance on travelling safely.

International travel (outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)

Travel to or from Scotland without a reasonable excuse is prohibited by law. See exceptions for which travel is permitted, but please avoid travel for even those reasons unless it is essential.

Travellers, by law, must have proof of a negative coronavirus (COVID-19) test before travelling to Scotland from abroad. The test must be taken, even by UK citizens, up to 3 days before the journey to Scotland. For example, those travelling on a Friday, must take a test no earlier than Tuesday.

A proof of your negative test  is required to be presented prior to boarding the travel to Scotland. See information on what the test result must include at gov.uk. 

Travellers who do not present proof of a negative test result certificate will not be able to board any form of transport to Scotland.  Travellers who do arrive in Scotland without proof of a negative test result could be fined £480.   

Travellers arriving in Scotland from abroad (with the exception of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) are required, by law, to quarantine by self-isolation for 10 days after arrival.  

More information on testing for people travelling to Scotland and self-quarantine is in the international travel guidance.

If you arrive in Scotland from abroad via another part of the UK you must follow the rules that are in place in Scotland when you arrive. 

From 15 February, all arrivals to Scotland from outside the Common Travel Area must book and pay for managed isolation in quarantine hotels to help protect against the importation of COVID-19. See: guidance on international travel and quarantine. 

It is vital that before travelling overseas you check the rules put in place by the destination country about who is allowed to enter, requirements for quarantine and restrictions on movements within the country. You are advised also to check that your insurance policy provides cover for cancellations.    

Travelling around Scotland

At present, unless you live in certain island communities (outlined above):

• you must, by law, stay at home unless you have a reasonable excuse (see exceptions)
• if you have to travel for essential purposes, you should follow the guidance on travelling safely
• you should also keep journeys within the area to an absolute minimum.

Travel within the islands (Level 3)

If you live within Orkney; Shetland; the following islands within Argyll and Bute: Coll, Colonsay, Erraid, Gometra, Iona, Islay, Jura, Mull, Oronsay, Tiree, and Ulva; and all islands in Highland, with the exception of Skye:

• you must, by law, remain within that area unless you have a reasonable excuse (see exceptions)

• if you have to travel for essential purposes, you should follow the guidance on travelling safely 

In the Level 3 areas remaining in your area would include travelling on inter island ferries within the Local Authority boundary.

Travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

Under current Scottish law, given the state of the epidemic, unless you have a reasonable excuse (see exceptions) you must not travel between Scotland and:

• England
• Northern Ireland
• Wales
• Republic of Ireland
• Jersey

• Guernsey
• The Isle of Man 

You should be aware that, if you travel for essential reasons, rules may apply in other countries or Crown Dependencies within the Common Travel Area that may restrict your ability to enter or travel within them, or which may require you to self-isolate for a period of time after your arrival. Please check any restrictions that may be in place in your destination before you travel. You can find information here:

• Northern Ireland
• Wales
• England
• Ireland
• Jersey
• Guernsey
• Isle of Man

Exceptions

The restrictions let you leave your home in a Level 4 area, and travel between areas in Levels 3 and 4  where you have a “reasonable excuse” for essential travel. The exceptions for Level 3 and Level 4 are different.

Although you can travel for these purposes, you should stay as close to home as possible. For example, shop on-line or use local shops and services wherever you can and travel no further than you need to reach to a safe, non-crowded place to exercise in a physically distanced way. 

The law lists examples of reasons for which travel is permitted.

Guidance on those is set out below. 

Exceptions for travel in Level 4 (mainland Scotland and certain islands) 

You can leave your home in a Level 4 area, or travel to a Level 4 area from somewhere else, for:

• travel for work or an activity associated with seeking employment, or to provide voluntary or charitable services, but only where that cannot be done from your home.
• travel to school – when not being undertaken remotely - (including travel to or from boarding school), college, or university (for example to or from home at the start or end of term).  This includes travel for home education, training, school day trips or for other essential purposes connected with a course of study
• travel for essential shopping, including essential shopping for a vulnerable person. However, you should use online shopping or shops, banks and other services wherever you can and within your local authority if possible. 
• travel for healthcare, including: audiology; chiropody; chiropractic; dental; ophthalmic; and osteopathic services; services relating to mental health; and testing and vaccination services.
• travel for childcare or parental support services
• travel for essential services, including:
  • social care
  • accessing day care centres
  • services provided by the Department for Work and Pensions
  • services provided to victims (including victims of crime)
  • asylum and immigration services and interviews
  • services of a charitable or voluntary nature such as food banks
  • waste disposal or recycling services, and again within your local authority area unless such services are not available there.
• travel to provide care, assistance, support to or respite for a vulnerable person
• travel to participate in or facilitate shared parenting or between two parts of an extended household
• travel to meet a legal obligation including satisfying bail conditions, to participate in legal proceedings, to comply with a court mandate in terms of sentence imposed or to register a birth
• travel for attendance at court including a remote jury centre, an inquiry, a children’s hearing, tribunal proceedings or to resolve a dispute via Alternative Dispute Resolution
• travel for essential animal welfare reasons, such as exercising or feeding a horse or going to a vet
• local outdoor informal exercise such as walking, cycling, golf, or running (in groups of up to 2 people, plus any children under 12, from no more than 2 households). Exercise can start and finish at a place in your local authority area (or up to 5 miles from the boundary of your local authority area), but you should travel no further than you need to reach a safe, non-crowded place to exercise in a physically distanced way. The number of periods of exercise is not limited. 
• travel to attend a marriage ceremony or registration of a civil partnership but only where you are either the person getting married, a witness or the person conducting the ceremony (or an interpreter if required)
• travel for gatherings related to funerals or for compassionate reasons which relate to the end of a person’s life. This includes  the scattering of ashes, but not post-funeral events, such as wakes
• if you are a minister of religion or worship leader, travel for the purposes of leading an act of worship
• travel to donate blood
• travel in connection with moving home (including viewing a property), or for activities in connection with the maintenance, purchase, sale, letting, or rental of residential property that the person owns or is otherwise responsible for. Travelling for the purposes of undertaking maintenance on a property other than your main residence should not be used as a pretext for a holiday. You should not stay longer than for the length of time required to undertake the necessary work.
• travel to avoid injury, illness or to escape a risk of harm, or support someone that is doing so
• for those involved in professional sports, travelling to training or competing in an event
• to visit a person receiving treatment in a hospital, staying in a hospice or care home, or to accompany a person to a medical appointment
• travel to register or vote in an Scottish or UK Parliament, Local Government or overseas election or by-election, including on behalf of someone else by proxy

• travel to visit a person detained in prison, young offenders institute, remand centre, secure accommodation or other place of detention

• travel to facilitate the formation of an end of term household, where either or both of the student or the other household which will make up the end of term household live out with the same area

Exceptions for travel to or from Level 3 areas (certain islands):

• travel for work or an activity associated with seeking employment, or to provide voluntary or charitable services, but only where that cannot be done from your home
• travel to school – when not being undertaken remotely - (including travel to or from boarding school), college, or university (for example to or from home at the start or end of term). This includes travel for home education, training, school day trips or for other essential purposes connected with a course of study.
• travel for under 18s organised activities and sport
• travel for essential shopping, including essential shopping for a vulnerable person. However, you should use online shopping or shops, banks and other services in your local authority area wherever you can. 
• travel for healthcare, including: audiology; chiropody; chiropractic; dental; ophthalmic; and osteopathic services; services relating to mental health; and testing and vaccination services
• travel for childcare or parental support services
• travel for essential services, including:
  • social care
  • accessing day care centres
  • services provided by the Department for Work and Pensions
  • services provided to victims (including victims of crime)
  • asylum and immigration services and interviews
  • services of a charitable or voluntary nature such as food banks
  • waste disposal or recycling services, when services are not available in your local authority area
• travel to provide care, assistance, support to or respite for a vulnerable person
• travel to participate in or facilitate shared parenting or between two parts of an extended household
• travel to meet a legal obligation including satisfying bail conditions, to participate in legal proceedings, to comply with a court mandate in terms of sentence imposed or to register a birth
• travel for attendance at court including a remote jury centre, an inquiry, a children’s hearing, tribunal proceedings or to resolve a dispute via Alternative Dispute Resolution
• travel for essential animal welfare reasons, such as exercising or feeding a horse or going to a vet
• local outdoor informal exercise such as walking, cycling, golf, or running (in groups of up to 2 people, plus any children under 12, from no more than 2 households). Exercise can start and finish at a place in your local authority area (or up to 5 miles from the boundary of your local authority area), but you should travel no further than you need to reach a safe, non-crowded place to exercise in a physically distanced way. 
• where you live in a level 3 area in Scotland, travel to attend a gathering which relates to a marriage ceremony or civil partnership registration - those who do not live in a level 3 area in Scotland, travel to attend a marriage ceremony or registration of a civil partnership but only where you are either the person getting married, a witness or the person conducting the ceremony (or interpreter if required)
• travel for gatherings related to funerals or for compassionate reasons which relate to the end of a person’s life. This includes  the scattering of ashes, as well as post-funeral events, such as wakes
• if you are a minister of religion or worship leader, travel for the purposes of leading an act of worship
• travel to attend your normal place of worship
• travel to donate blood
• travel in connection with moving home (including viewing a property), or for activities in connection with the maintenance, purchase, sale, letting, or rental of residential property that the person owns or is otherwise responsible for. Travelling for the purposes of undertaking maintenance on a property other than your main residence should not be used as a pretext for a holiday. You should not stay longer than for the length of time required to undertake the necessary work.
• travel to avoid injury, illness or to escape a risk of harm, or support someone that is doing so
• for those involved in professional sports, travelling to training or competing in an event
• to visit a person receiving treatment in a hospital, staying in a hospice or care home, or to accompany a person to a medical appointment
• travel to register or vote in an Scottish or UK Parliament, Local Government or overseas election or by-election, including on behalf of someone else by proxy

• travel to visit a person detained in prison, young offenders institute, remand centre, secure accommodation or other place of detention

• travel to or from a level 3 area or the purposes of driving lessons or taking a driving test

Travelling safely

Transport Scotland has produced guidance on travelling safely in all forms of transport. Where possible you should consider walking, wheeling or cycling, if you can, to reduce pressure on the road network and on public transport where capacity will be limited.

Public transport

Transport providers will have procedures to promote the safety of customers and staff, but it is an individual’s responsibility to comply with guidance.  

On public transport you must by law wear a face covering, unless you are exempt, and comply with the physical distancing measures that are in place. Find out more about face coverings. 

Car and vehicle sharing

You should not share a vehicle with anyone from another household, unless you absolutely have to.

If this is the case, you should take the following steps and precautions:

• if sharing a vehicle with anyone from another household, limit the number of people in the vehicle to as few as possible, ideally no more than 2 (applies to adults and children aged 12 and over)
• use the biggest vehicle available for car sharing purposes
• occupants should sit as far apart as possible, ideally the passenger should sit in the back seat diagonally opposite the driver, aiming for 2 metre distancing between occupants
• windows in the car should be opened as far as possible taking account of weather conditions to improve ventilation in the space
• occupants in the car, including the driver, should wear a face covering provided it does not compromise driver safety in any way
• occupants should perform hand hygiene before entering the vehicle and again on leaving the vehicle
• occupants should avoid eating in the vehicle
• passengers in the vehicle should minimise any surfaces touched
• keep the volume of any music/radio to a minimum to prevent the need to raise voices in the car
• the longer the journey, the higher the risk; keep journey times to the minimum feasible and do not linger in the vehicle before or after the journey itself

• where non-household members are car-sharing, the car must be cleaned regularly (at least daily) and particular attention should be paid to high risk touch points such as door handles, electronic buttons and seat belts.  General purpose detergent is sufficient unless a symptomatic or confirmed case of COVID-19 has been in the vehicle in which case a disinfectant (e.g. chlorine-based product) should be used

Note the above guidance relates to private vehicles. For taxis and private hire vehicles you should refer to guidance on taxis and private hire vehicles.

If you are travelling in a vehicle as part of your job or business, safe operation of workplaces applies, therefore please refer to your employer. For employers, you may wish to refer to guidance for safer workplaces.

If someone tests positive for COVID-19, all passengers will be assessed for close contact and are likely to be advised to self-isolate.

For further information please visit our advice on how to travel safely.