Travel declaration form: everything you need to know about the new departure rules
Passengers travelling overseas from England are now required to complete a form declaring their reasons for travelling. The new legislation came into force on March 8, as part of the ongoing restrictions on international movement.
Before you travel, here is what you need to know – including where to get the form, and who needs to complete it.
What is the ‘travel declaration form’?
The form is a declaration of your reason for travelling – to confirm that your trip is for essential purposes. It is available for download from the gov.uk website.
Everybody who is travelling internationally must complete a form. As the government advice states: 'Entering a port of departure to travel internationally without a completed form is a criminal offence, for which you could be fined.'
When completing the form, passengers can choose from a list of permitted reasons to travel, including:
Work
Volunteering
Education
Medical, or compassionate grounds
Weddings, funerals and related events (see more information, here)
The guidance also states that you may 'carry evidence' to support your reason for travel. This may include: 'proof of contract, court decision and proof of place of residence, order to present oneself to a judicial or administrative authority, expiring residence permit, dismissal notice, etc.'
Passengers must also supply their name, date of birth, nationality, home address, passport number and destination.
The form must also be signed and dated – though you may simply write your name when completing the form electronically.
Who must complete it?
The form is required for every passenger travelling from England to an overseas destination. It is not necessary for domestic travel within the UK, to Ireland, to the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, the Government's guidance states.
Different border rules apply for travel abroad from the devolved administrations.
Passengers who are under the age of 18, or unable to fill in the form for themselves, do not need to complete the form personally. Instead, it should be completed by a 'responsible adult' who is travelling with them, on behalf of the other traveller. There should be a separate form for every passenger.
Some travellers are exempt from completing the declaration form because of the job they do – including aerospace engineers, aircraft crew and UK border officials. The government has published a full list of the jobs which are exempt and the conditions that apply.
What is the penalty for non-compliance?
Airlines, ferry companies and train operators are legally obliged to explain on their websites that the document must be filled out before travelling. They must then check that passengers have completed the form before they board – and individuals who have not done so may not be allowed to join the service they have booked.
But non-compliance also carries the risk of a £200 penalty – or more. Anybody who is identified by police as trying to travel overseas for reasons that are not currently permitted will be asked to return home and they risk receiving a fixed penalty notice for breaking non-essential travel rules.
These fines start at £200 and double for each incident; they can reach a maximum of £6,400.
How do you show it?
The form may be checked at 'port of departure', the advice states. Passengers must either print the completed form, or save it to a mobile phone or other device.
How long will it be required?
There has been no guidance on this, but judging by the other travel restrictions currently in place – including pre-departure testing, hotel quarantine, bans on arrivals from red-list countries, etc – it is likely that the measures will be in place long-term.
