The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all non-essential international travel.
If you are already travelling abroad, the FCO has advised all British nationals to return to the UK now.
Special Charter Flights
On 30/03/2020, the Government announced that it is working with the airline industry to bring home British nationals travelling abroad. Where commercial flights are still possible, it is the responsibility of the airline to return those with pre-booked tickets back to the UK via any available route.
Where this is not possible, the Government has pledged £75million to charter flights for British citizens. Focus will be given to those who are vulnerable because of age or underlying medical conditions, and these special charter flights will be aimed at countries where commercial flights are no longer available and large numbers of British nationals are stranded.
Information on who's eligible and how to book a ticket is available here.
The Government is working to ensure airline ticket prices remain fair and reasonable. In very exceptional circumstances, the FCO may be able to provide emergency loans to those stranded overseas to help with the cost of repatriation. Additional information and guidance for British nationals in financial difficulty abroad can be found here.
For those with friends and family who are in foreign countries, and who may be experiencing problems in getting back to the UK, you can contact the Foreign Office consular hotline on 0207 008 1500 for advice. Embassy details for each country are available here. The Government has also published advice on staying where you are if you cannot return home.
The Government’s response will continue to evolve as new information comes to light and we can each do our bit to reduce the harmful effects of Coronavirus and keep ourselves safe. As always, please do get in touch with me at ruth.edwards.mp@parliament.uk if you need assistance.
