A new rule that requires international travellers to test negative for Covid-19 before entering England will come into force this Friday.

Passengers travelling by boat, train or plane will need to take a test 72 hours before leaving their country of departure from 4am on January 15, the Government has announced.

Proof of a negative result must be presented to the carrier upon boarding, while the UK Border Force will also conduct spot checks on arrivals.

Failure to comply with the rules will lead to an immediate £500 fine, while the operator who transported the person will also be charged.

People arriving in England are still required to quarantine for 10 days, even when the new procedure comes into force.

British nationals who test positive must not travel and must follow the local guidance in their host country, and contact the nearest consulate if they need support.

The same rule is set to be brought into force in Wales and Scotland, although no date has been confirmed. Ministers are expected to make announcements in the coming days.

It comes after the Government was accused of leaving a ‘substantial gap in the nation’s defences’ against the virus by delaying the new rule.

The UK reported its first coronavirus case last January, meaning the Government waited almost a year to introduce the regulation.

Covid vaccine deployment minister Nadhim Zahawi claimed last week it would be ‘near pointless’ to test people on the border ‘because that person may be showing no symptoms’.

In a statement released on Monday, Transport Minister Robert Courts said: ‘If a passenger arrives in England without a pre-departure negative test result they will be fined.

‘We will amend the International Travel Regulations so that fines, starting at £500, can be levied on non-compliant passengers.’

He added: ‘Measures are likely to be in place until the end of the current lockdown, although a review will take place before the end of that period.

‘With the addition of pre-departure testing requirements, our already robust system to protect against imported cases of coronavirus is further strengthened and will provide the greatest overall protection against the risk of transmission during travel to England and after arrival.’

England’s new travel regulation applies to nearly every country in the world – including those on the travel corridor list.

Passengers will not need a negative test to travel into England from other UK countries, as well as the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. 

Children under 11 travelling from any country are also exempt, while there will also be a limited number of exemptions for people like hauliers, air, international rail and maritime crew to allow the free flow of freight.

Travellers from three overseas territories – St Helena, Ascension Island and the Falklands – will be exempt due to lack of testing infrastructure.

Passengers from Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia and Barbados will be exempt until 4am on January 21, again due to lack of testing infrastructure in those countries.

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