Intra-UK travel: Guidance on travel between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Guidance on travel between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has been published, including for the Christmas period, summary: 

Between Wales & England 

• New travel guidance has been issued strongly advising people in Wales not to travel to other parts of the UK with lower levels of coronavirus – Tier 1 and 2 areas in England or level one and two areas in Scotland – to help control the spread of the virus.
• The law banning all, but essential travel between England and Wales was lifted on December 4.
• Travel between Wales and areas of the UK with highest rates of coronavirus in England's Tier 3, the whole of Northern Ireland and Scotland's Tiers 3 and 4 will still not be allowed.
• People are be allowed to travel to areas with a lower prevalence of Coronavirus in Tiers 1 and 2 in England and Scotland - although they are being urged not to.
• Travel restrictions will be relaxed between 23 and 27 December so people can travel anywhere within the UK for the purposes of meeting your Christmas bubble.
• People should meet their Christmas bubble within the designated window (23-27 December). Anyone travelling to or from Northern Ireland may also travel in order to meet with their bubble from 22 to 28 December.

Scotland:

• Under current Scottish regulations, unless people have a reasonable excuse, they must not travel between Scotland and England, Northern Ireland, Ireland or Wales.

• This applies to people who live in Scotland and to people who live in any of these countries who are thinking of coming to Scotland. 
• 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.

• Travel restrictions will be relaxed from 23 – 27 December (inclusive) to allow people to travel between local authority areas and the four nations of the UK to join their bubble.
• Those travelling to or from the Scottish Islands should do so within the 5 day period, 23 – 27 December.  While travelling people should minimise stop-offs during journeys except where necessary for safety and respite. 
• If people are travelling to form a bubble, once they arrive they must follow the rules about travel that apply in that local authority area.  

  
Northern Ireland

• People should avoid all unnecessary travel.
• Where travel is necessary for work, education and other essential purposes, people are asked to walk, cycle or use private transport, shared only with members of their household where possible.
• Anyone travelling to or from Northern Ireland may travel on the 22 and 28 December.