You must complete a passenger locator form (PLF) online before you arrive in the UK, whether you are staying here, or only transiting through the UK. There is no cost to submit the form.

A person who is under 18 years of age (Scotland 16 years) may be included on an accompanying adult’s PLF.

The UK consists of 4 nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. There may be different border health rules depending on whether you are travelling to England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland and it is essential you check the rules for the specific country you are travelling to.

There are links to the requirements for each nation on the ‘Fill in your Passenger Locator Form’ page: Fill in your passenger locator form.

The rules also depend on the country/countries you will have been in during the 10 days before your arrival in the UK. To see the rules that will apply to you, please see this page: Red, amber and green list rules for entering England.

Important:

It could be a criminal offence to provide false details in the form and you may be prosecuted.

Table of Contents

What is the passenger locator form?

The form is used to collect your personal and travel information and will be used to contact you in the event you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive to coronavirus (COVID-19) and to check your compliance with the UK’s health measure requirements.

The form also collects details of countries (and islands) you have stayed in, or travelled through, your contact information whilst in the UK and details of your testing or quarantine information.

When to complete this form

This form should be completed no more than 48 hours prior to your arrival in the UK, but please consider time zone difference when planning to complete.

Important: Should your travel plans change, resulting in a new flight/journey or delay of more than 24 hours, you must submit a new Passenger Locator Form. If you do not do this, you may be delayed on arrival in the UK.

Can I complete a paper version of this form?

No, the Passenger Locator Form is online only, to ensure sufficient data collection and contact tracing. You should make every effort to complete your PLF digitally.

Before you travel to the UK – what you need to do

  1. Take a pre-departure COVID-19 test within 3 days of departure to the UK.
  2. Obtain proof of your vaccination status (if applicable).
  3. Confirm the testing and quarantine requirements for your arrival into the UK and pre-book your testing or hotel quarantine package according to your Green, Amber or Red arrival status.
  4. Complete a Passenger Locator Form within 48 hours of arrival in the UK.

Note: Steps 1, 2 (if appropriate) and 3 are required in order to complete the Passenger Locator Form unless you are travelling on an approved exemption.

What you’ll need to complete this form

You will need to enter the passport or travel document reference number exactly as it is shown on your document.

For example:

You should use the same travel document for departure to the UK and arrival at the UK border.

Confirmation of your COVID-19 vaccination status:

Please check whether you meet the vaccine eligibility criteria and the latest information on the current position, as this may be subject to change. If you have been fully vaccinated under the vaccination programme, and have a vaccination QR code, your vaccination status can be verified in the Passenger Locator Form. You can do this either by:

From a green list country

From an amber list country

From a red list country

Exemptions

There are specific limited exemptions that apply to hotel quarantine, self-isolation, and/or testing.

If you select one of these options in the form you may be subject to further checks by a Border Force Officer so you should have some form of evidence to support your declared exemption.

Please note that exemption from self-isolation and Day 8 testing only applies for the duration of your stay in the UK. You must check the border health rules for the specific country you are travelling to.

Confirmations required to travel

The following confirmations should be held before commencing your journey unless you are travelling under an approved exemption:

1. Pre-departure COVID-19 test – proof of negative result

You must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 3 days prior to your departure to the UK. Test results must be in English, French, or Spanish.

Your confirmation will need to be presented before boarding your transport to the UK and available for presentation on arrival at the UK border.

Your test result can be provided as:

2. Confirmation of your COVID-19 vaccination status

If applicable, the Passenger Locator Form will automatically verify your vaccination status. However, if your QR code scan failed or your image document with the valid QR code did not upload you should have self-certified your full vaccination status, so please ensure you bring proof of your vaccination status, to show your airline, ferry or rail operator.

3. Test package or hotel quarantine package after arrival in the UK

Confirmation of your test package booking reference number or hotel quarantine package invoice reference number must be available for presentation on arrival at the UK border if requested by a Border Force Officer.

Your confirmation can be provided as:

4. Passenger Locator Form

After you complete the form you will receive a confirmation QR code via email. Your confirmation will need to be presented before boarding your transport to the UK and available for presentation on arrival at the UK border.

Your confirmation can be provided as: