Spending 10 days in the Common Travel Area before returning to England
Apr 1st 2021, 1:09 pm
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 278
Spending 10 days in the Common Travel Area before returning to England
Hii all,
Does anyone have knowledge of the correct way to calculate the "past 10 day" period referenced in the quarantine rules (found here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-q...ve-in-england)?
I'm travelling to England from the Republic of Ireland having recently been in France. The rule states that if I "have not left the Common Travel Area [including Ireland] for the past 10 days" I am exempt from quarantining, but it does not state how to count the 10 days.
Do I count 10 x 24 hour periods from the moment I entered Ireland? Or do I count 10 clear calendar days excluding the day of arrival into and departure from Ireland? Or something else? I know this sounds like a trivial point but I'm planning to travel around the time the 10 day period expires and need to know if I have to quarantine & test or not. I have emailed the contact address on the page linked above, but am not sure if they will even reply.
Thanks!!!!
Does anyone have knowledge of the correct way to calculate the "past 10 day" period referenced in the quarantine rules (found here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-q...ve-in-england)?
I'm travelling to England from the Republic of Ireland having recently been in France. The rule states that if I "have not left the Common Travel Area [including Ireland] for the past 10 days" I am exempt from quarantining, but it does not state how to count the 10 days.
Do I count 10 x 24 hour periods from the moment I entered Ireland? Or do I count 10 clear calendar days excluding the day of arrival into and departure from Ireland? Or something else? I know this sounds like a trivial point but I'm planning to travel around the time the 10 day period expires and need to know if I have to quarantine & test or not. I have emailed the contact address on the page linked above, but am not sure if they will even reply.
Thanks!!!!
Apr 2nd 2021, 3:04 am
#2
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 525
Re: Spending 10 days in the Common Travel Area before returning to England
The rule on getting a covid test in the 3 days before travelling is that the day of travel is day 0 (doesn't count), and you count backwards 3 days - yesterday is day 1, etc. ("For example, if you travel directly to England on Friday, you must take the test on the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.").
The 10 day quarantine rule is the same, the day of arrival is day 0 (doesn't count), and you count forwards 10 days - tomorrow is day 1, etc. ("For the purposes of counting days, the day after arrival is considered ‘day one’.").
Therefore, I assume the same logic applies in that they will count full days not 24 hour periods. What isn't clear is whether neither the day of arrival and departure count, and you need 10 days in between, or one of those days count. I note the rules on "Test to Release" says "You cannot take a test to release test until you have been in England for 5 full days.", and "You can take a test no earlier than the 5th day after arrival in England.".
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavi...ational-travel
This appears a contradiction; if you need 5 full days in the UK before the test, surely the test is on day 6. Does this mean the day of arrival in the CTA doesn't count (day 0), but the day of departure does? It's unclear, but I would advise against assuming so and risking a dispute with Immigration and a potential fine. Better to ask for guidance using the email contract provided ("If you’re intending to travel to the UK in the next 7 days and facing a set of circumstances that are not covered by this guidance, please email your enquiry to [email protected].").
The 10 day quarantine rule is the same, the day of arrival is day 0 (doesn't count), and you count forwards 10 days - tomorrow is day 1, etc. ("For the purposes of counting days, the day after arrival is considered ‘day one’.").
Therefore, I assume the same logic applies in that they will count full days not 24 hour periods. What isn't clear is whether neither the day of arrival and departure count, and you need 10 days in between, or one of those days count. I note the rules on "Test to Release" says "You cannot take a test to release test until you have been in England for 5 full days.", and "You can take a test no earlier than the 5th day after arrival in England.".
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavi...ational-travel
This appears a contradiction; if you need 5 full days in the UK before the test, surely the test is on day 6. Does this mean the day of arrival in the CTA doesn't count (day 0), but the day of departure does? It's unclear, but I would advise against assuming so and risking a dispute with Immigration and a potential fine. Better to ask for guidance using the email contract provided ("If you’re intending to travel to the UK in the next 7 days and facing a set of circumstances that are not covered by this guidance, please email your enquiry to [email protected].").
Apr 2nd 2021, 3:27 pm
#3
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 278
Re: Spending 10 days in the Common Travel Area before returning to England
Thanks tdrinker!! I emailed the NHS team yesterday and they replied today to say you have to count full days starting at midnight with the day you arrive in the Common Travel Area (i.e. Ireland) being "day 0". So if you arrive from France in Ireland on 1 April, you can enter England on or after 12 April without quarantining.
