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Jersey moves all of England, Scotland and Wales to ‘Green’, with no 6-12 hour quarantine

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Jersey is gearing up to welcome all residents of England, Scotland and Wales, regardless of their local authority.

We recently published this article about the re-opening of Jersey.

The current situation is that you have been free to visit Jersey and stay in a hotel since April, as long as your local authority was on the ‘Green List’. You could take a free PCR test on arrival and then remain in your hotel for 6-12 hours until the result comes through. After that, you were free to do what you want. If you were were staying longer, additional tests were required on Day 5 and Day 10.

The problem was with the classification of local authorities. This was not working well, especially as Heathrow Airport was put into the Amber category. This meant that anyone who spent the night at Heathrow before their flight was forced into five days of quarantine on arrival.

Jersey is changing its system in two weeks

The good news is that, from 28th May, Jersey is moving to a country-based system.

The proposal is that:

  • England, Wales and Scotland will be Green
  • Northern Ireland will be Amber (five days quarantine still required)
  • Republic of Ireland will be Red (10 days quarantine still required)

This means that any resident of England, Wales or Scotland will be able to enter Jersey without 5+ days of quarantine. The only quarantine required will be a 6-12 hour wait until your free ‘test on arrival’ is processed.

If you are still in Jersey eight days after your arrival, a second free test will be required. This is an extension from the current requirement to have a second test after five days.

Even better, anyone who has received both doses of a coronavirus vaccine will not need to wait for 6-12 hours before going out and about. This applies to anyone who has had their second vaccination at least 14 days before arriving in Jersey.

These policies are not yet reflected on the covid pages of the Jersey Government website but the press release outlining the changes is here.

Regular readers will know that I spent a week in Jersey last Summer, and recommended it for a very quiet and tourist-free beach holiday.

Category

General

Comments (41)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • TomH says:
    10 May10 May 19:06

    Just don’t apply for a fishing license while you’re there or the UK government might send in the Navy!

  • ChrisC says:
    10 May10 May 19:18

    What will be important is what proof of vaccination they will accept.

    If it’s the card we get then a few people will try and use fake ones.

    If they want something more complicated such as doctors letters or something from the NHS app then that’s a different kettle of fish.

    GPs will not want to be doing vaccination letters and nor are they prepared for lots of people wanting access to their medical rescords.

    • Rob says:
      10 May10 May 19:39

      Given the average Jersey visitors is 57 I doubt fraud will be a big problem …

      • ChrisC says:
        10 May10 May 20:03

        some of those old dears aren’t as sweet and innocent as you think!

    • Trev says:
      10 May10 May 19:40

      Both your jabs show up on the NHS app on your phone [not the Covid one, the standard NHS one]. Maybe that will suffice?

      • Andrew says:
        10 May10 May 20:35

        From 17 May, anyone in England can call 119 and ask for a certificate of vaccination to be sent to them, as well as it showing in your vaccinations or acute medication section of your NHS app.

      • Joe says:
        10 May10 May 21:14

        And if you got vaccinated abroad?

        • Joe says:
          10 May10 May 21:18

          Im pretty concerned about going back home and being locked out of everything and everywhere by virtue of not having the nhs App

          • Ryan says:
            10 May10 May 21:53

            Aaaand welcome to life in 2021 and beyond…

          • Dubious says:
            11 May11 May 04:29

            I share your concern. I have been fully vaccinated since February 2021 and have a government app on my phone that proves this, as well as a paper card…but since this was not done in the UK / app is not a British Government app) it’s really unclear how to get this proof recognised.

          • John says:
            11 May11 May 07:51

            The only thing you might potentially be locked out of is very large events. There won’t be “vaccine passports” for normal shops and small venues

          • AJA says:
            11 May11 May 09:29

            If it requires the use of the NHS app I am in. It’s not as if we don’t use curve’s app or book flights or check details in MMB on the BA app or half a dozen hotel ones or save the latest money back offers in Amex or Airtime or indeed double dip (if we can).

    • ChrisW says:
      10 May10 May 23:23

      You would have thought while the UK Government spent all that time hoping for a covid vaccine they might have considered how they were going to provide vaccinations…

  • Matthew says:
    10 May10 May 19:22

    Is Jersey considered international for the purposes of border control, or domestic? The reason for asking is the current prospect of multi-hour queues at border control…

    • David says:
      10 May10 May 19:26

      It’s CTA – so no controls in normal circumstances, similar to a domestic. Of course, that doesn’t mean right to free movement, even outside of public health emergencies.

      • Matthew says:
        10 May10 May 19:35

        Thanks David. Just looking to avoid the multi-hour queues *if* travel is allowed.

    • Rob says:
      10 May10 May 19:37

      You enter as a domestic passenger.

      • Nick says:
        10 May10 May 22:08

        Not quite right there, Rob. You re-enter the UK as an ‘international passenger exempt from immigration control’. For all intents and purposes it works out similarly, but it doesn’t mean you’re domestic. You enter through the same arrivals as DUB, so will still have to go through customs control and will exit the airport from ‘international arrivals’, not ‘UK arrivals’.

        • Vicky says:
          11 May11 May 05:45

          That may apply at LHR but at local airports such as SEN no security at all. Off the plane and out the door.

          • John says:
            11 May11 May 07:48

            You still pass through customs and should make a declaration if needed. There could be a spot check in theory.

  • Trev says:
    10 May10 May 19:45

    What is the situation with Guernsey? The same?

    • Ron says:
      10 May10 May 20:09

      Guernsey has their own system. From 14/5, people travel from category 2 require test on arrival (and day 7) and free to go out once negative result is received (up to 48hrs). 1/7 is phase two, and hopefully restrictions will ease further, but no guarantee and I don’t think they have publish details, but I hope it will be similar to Jerseys?!

  • stevenhp1987 says:
    10 May10 May 21:14

    Stayed in Jersey in February last year, just before the world fell apart.

    A jam packed weekend. Even got an extra day because of a flight cancellation due to a storm. Would go again.

    Flights seem very pricy for the upcoming months though!

    • Peter K says:
      10 May10 May 22:57

      Your post lacks vital details.

      “Jam packed”. What flavor jams? The usual like strawberry and raspberry, I imagine, but what about loganberry or gooseberry?
      And did it include preserves, conserves, marmalades…? 😁

  • ChrisW says:
    10 May10 May 22:09

    I saw that for Green list countries like Gibraltar, you will need to do a PCR test on Day 2 of returning to the UK. I wonder how this will work in practice. Do you need to lodge the results with the NHS in order to avoid further quarantine? Will you be called to check the result was negative just as with the Test To Release for Amber countries?

    If not surely no-one will bother with an expensive PCR test after arriving home from a Green country??

  • Ali B says:
    11 May11 May 01:14

    Seems bizarre that Northern Ireland is on the Amber list, given that they are probably in better shape than England, Scotland or Wales

  • John says:
    11 May11 May 04:55

    In what way is NI in better shape

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

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