Business executives allowed to leave UK quarantine

Foreign company directors exempt from self-isolation to attend meetings

Business executives can apply for an exemption from quarantine rules in the UK. Getty

Business executives visiting the UK from amber-list countries will be allowed to leave quarantine early to attend meetings.

The UK government announced on Tuesday it would allow senior executives to temporarily leave quarantine if they are bringing “significant economic benefit” to the country.

Executives will be able to visit company sites and meet investors or customers if their work “has a greater than 50 per cent chance of creating or preserving at least 500 UK-based jobs” in a new or existing business.

Those granted approval under the scheme are required to go back into quarantine when not attending meetings.

Executives coming from red-list countries are not eligible for quarantine release.

The scheme was introduced on December 4 but was suspended on January 15 after England went on lockdown.

Executives wishing to apply for the exemption need to do so before travelling to the UK.

The updated travel advice is the second change to UK quarantine exemptions since last week.

Coronavirus travel rules were amended last Tuesday to state anyone with a “Euro 2020 invite” would not have to self-isolate or go into quarantine on arrival in the UK to attend one of the matches.

The list of those allowed to bypass the government's quarantine restrictions include executive members of Uefa, members of the council of Fifa and senior executives of the companies sponsoring Euro 2020.

Sport Minister John Whittingdale defended the arrangement for sports officials.

"We're talking about a very limited number of people coming in and they're also subject to quite significant restrictions," he said.

"They're not just able to come in and travel around Britain. They come in to attend a match and go away again.”

What jobs qualify for quarantine exemptions? 

Business executives

Channel Tunnel workers

Defence personnel

Pilots and flight crew

Diplomats

International prison escorts

Nuclear power workers

Fruit pickers

Postal workers

IT workers