COP26 Guide to Managed Quarantine

Guidance Update (28/10/2021)

Changes to the red list have been announced on Thursday 28 October. As usual, there will

be a delay between when the announcement is made and the date when the changes will be

effective from.

Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela will be

removed from the red list from 04:00am Monday 1 November. The announcement precedes

the date the changes come into effect, so it is important to note that quarantine rules from

red list countries will apply in the intervening period. Please see the below FAQs for further

information.

What happens if my country is removed from the red list and I'm already in

Managed Quarantine?

● As you are currently checked into a quarantine hotel, you will need to follow the

quarantine rules that were in place when you entered the UK and continue to

quarantine at the hotel for the duration already specified to you upon entry.

● This is 5 days of quarantine for fully vaccinated individuals and 10 days of managed

quarantine for those who are not vaccinated or who have not declared their

vaccination status.

● Guests can only leave managed quarantine in limited circumstances. These are set

out in guidance here. You cannot leave the quarantine facility early because your

country was removed from the red list.

Can I change my flights so I arrive in the UK after Monday 1 November

04:00am so I don’t need to complete MQS?

● Yes. If you do so, please ensure you contact CTM, the managed quarantine

provider, to cancel your booking. Their details are available on your MQS booking

reference.

What happens if I leave my red list country to travel for COP 26 and I arrive in

the UK before 0400 Monday 1 November?.

● If you already left your country, and you were en-route to the UK when the changes

to the red list were announced and you will cross the UK border before the

changes come into effect at 4am on Monday 1 November, then you will need to

stay in a quarantine hotel for the required duration depending on your vaccination

status.

● This is 5 days for fully vaccinated individuals and the normal 10-day period of

managed quarantine period for those who are not vaccinated or who have not

declared their vaccination status.

● You cannot leave your quarantine facility early unless you receive permission to do

so due to circumstances covered in the exemptions from managed quarantine

guidance.

What happens if I leave my red list country to travel for COP 26 and I arrive in

the UK after 0400 Monday 1 November?

● If by the time you cross the UK border the changes have come into effect, you will be

treated as an arrival from a non red list country and will not have to stay in a

quarantine hotel

I am a Ministerial Head of Department and have a letter from the UK

Government which exempts me from managed quarantine. Do I need to

change my exemption letter?

● You can still travel using the letter from the UK Government demonstrating your

exemption from managed quarantine. You do not need to be reissued an updated

exemption letter.

● The exemption letter will not be required after 04:00 Monday 1 November, so if you

are travelling after this date you should carry your UNFCCC confirmation letter

instead, as you will not need to quarantine on arrival.

This guidance sets out:

1. An introduction to managed quarantine for COP26

2. Ports of arrival in England and Scotland

3. Funding

4. Booking process if you do not qualify for funding

5. Booking process if you qualify for funding

6. FAQs

Annex A: What to expect in 5 day managed quarantine

Annex B: MQS Calendar

1. An introduction to managed quarantine for COP26

COP26 participants who have been in any red listed countries or territories in the 10 days

immediately prior to their arrival into England or Scotland are required to spend a period of

time in a government approved Managed Quarantine Service (MQS) hotel.

● the quarantine period is 5 days for fully COVID-19 vaccinated

COP26 participants

and those under 18 years of age on arrival

(if they are accompanied by a fully

vaccinated responsible adult who is also a registered COP26 participant)

● for unvaccinated COP26 participants and those who have not declared their

vaccination status, the quarantine period is 10 days

● if a positive COVID-19 test result is recorded during quarantine, the period is

extended by an additional 10 days from the day after the test was taken.

Uniquely for COP26 the UK and Scottish Government have agreed to accept all COVID

vaccines and all COVID vaccination delivery programmes, evidenced through the UNFCCC

Registration data.

You must arrange a managed quarantine booking before travelling to the UK. The booking

reference number may be checked as part of your carrier’s check-in procedure. Arrivals from

red list countries without a managed quarantine booking (unless specifically exempt) will be

denied boarding.

This will be in addition to completing a Passenger Locator Form and providing evidence of a

negative COVID-19 test taken in the 72 hours before your departure.

People under the age of 18, who need to quarantine, are eligible for the reduced Managed Quarantine Service (MQS) period

of 5 days regardless of vaccination status. However, they must be accompanied by a responsible adult for the duration of their

stay in managed quarantine. The responsible adult must be fully vaccinated and registered via the UNFCCC portal to attend

COP26 to allow the young person to qualify for the 5 days managed quarantine. If the responsible adult is not fully vaccinated

or not registered to attend COP26, they and the young person will both have to quarantine for 10 days.

Participants are considered fully vaccinated two weeks (14 days) after completing a full course of COVID-19 vaccinations.

Participants who are required to go into MQS on arrival will need to have received their final vaccine dose at least 10 days

before arrival in the UK, with the day of the final dose being day 0 and the day of arrival being day 10, to qualify for 5 days

MQS.

Managed quarantine means that you will stay in a dedicated hotel at your port of arrival

where you will receive support to help you isolate for the necessary period. You must arrive

in the UK at a port of arrival with designated MQS facilities. Further detail on this can be

found in Section 2: Ports of arrival in England or Scotland.

During your stay you will receive your test kits and be required to complete additional

COVID-19 tests to ensure you are free of the virus before travelling on to attend COP26. If

you test positive for COVID-19 during your MQS stay, you will continue your stay in the

managed quarantine hotel for a further 10 days from the day after the test is taken.

On completion of your managed quarantine stay, you should only transit to the

accommodation you have booked for COP26. You should book your MQS stay based on the

date that you wish to attend COP26.

Detailed guidance on what to expect in managed quarantine is in Annex A. The managed

quarantine package includes:

● your hotel room (with wifi);

● transport to the quarantine hotel and then transport back to your port of arrival once

you have completed quarantine

● COVID-19 testing

● 3 meals a day, tea, coffee, fresh fruit, snacks and drinks

Once you have completed quarantine you will be returned to the port you arrived in; from

there you will be able to travel to your own accommodation for the duration of COP26.

Transport to your COP26 accommodation will not be arranged or paid for by the UK

Government, and participants are advised to account for the length of time required in

quarantine when planning their journey(s) into the UK and to the conference.

To assist with planning your dates of travel, a calendar for 5 day and 10 day managed

quarantine is outlined in Annex B. You should select the travel dates to best work for your

schedule at COP26; no specific arrival date is required for MQS. The calendar in Annex B

also sets out the testing requirements while you are in quarantine – the tests will be included

as part of the managed quarantine package.

2. Port of Arrival in England or Scotland

If you have been in or transited through a red list country or territory in the 10 days before

you arrive, you must be quarantined in a managed quarantine hotel near the port where you

arrive.

Your port of arrival will be the airport into which you go through passport control and enter

the UK. If your flight arrives in England, you must complete managed quarantine in England

before transiting to Scotland.

For example, if you land in Heathrow and plan on catching a connecting flight to Glasgow

later in the day or following day, you must enter managed quarantine in a hotel in the

Heathrow area before onward travel.

If you complete managed quarantine in England, you will not be required to enter managed

quarantine for a second time when continuing your journey to Scotland.

Arrival into England

You can only arrive in England at certain airports– carriers are not allowed to take you to any

other port of entry. These airports are:

● Heathrow Airport

● Gatwick Airport

● London City Airport

● Birmingham Airport

● Bristol Airport

● Farnborough Airport

● Biggin Hill Airport

There is good MQS capacity around all London airports. We would advise travelling to

London where possible.

Direct flights into England from the following red list countries (as of 30/09/21, please look on

gov.uk for updates to the red list) can only arrive at London Heathrow Terminal 4 and

Birmingham Airport (unless you are travelling on a national government operated flight):

● Argentina

● Brazil

● Cape Verde

● Chile

● Cuba

● Dominican Republic

● Ethiopia

● Indonesia

● Georgia

● Mexico

● Montenegro

● South Africa

● Thailand

● Tunisia

Arrival into Scotland

If you are travelling directly to Scotland, you can only arrive at:

● Aberdeen Airport

● Edinburgh Airport

● Glasgow Airport

Please note that there is greater managed quarantine capacity around London, and early

booking is advised if you plan to fly directly to Scotland. We will allocate rooms on a first

come, first served basis.

Once you have arrived at the airport you will be transported directly to your quarantine hotel.

Your quarantine package includes transport to your quarantine hotel. You must only travel to

your managed quarantine hotel by the transport included in your quarantine package and not

by public or private transport.

3. Funding

The UK Government will fund the required managed quarantine stays for all registered

COP26 participants who would otherwise find it financially difficult to attend COP26,

including:

● registered COP26 participants from the Global South

● registered COP26 participants who are observer, non-state actors, media and

representatives of international organisations

● registered party participants who are from developing countries on the red list

If you are unsure if you qualify for funding, please consult the local UK Embassy or High

Commission.

If you meet the criteria set out above, you will not need to pay for your stay. The funding will

cover the following:

● your hotel room (with wifi);

● transport to the quarantine hotel and then transport back to your port of arrival once

you have completed quarantine

● COVID-19 testing

● 3 meals a day, tea, coffee, fresh fruit, snacks and drinks

All hotel rooms are single occupancy unless you are under 18 on the date of arrival. If you

are under 18 you must be accompanied by a responsible adult and will be allocated a double

occupancy room.

4. Booking process if you do not meet funding requirements

If you do not meet the funding criteria and are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 please

book your managed quarantine through the CTM Portal

If you do not meet the funding criteria and are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, please

contact [email protected] with the subject ‘Unfunded 5 day MQS’ and the details

of your flight, arrival time and date. Please wait at least 5 working days for a response.

5. Booking process if you meet funding requirements

Payment will not be required in this booking process.

Participants are strongly encouraged to book their managed quarantine as soon as

possible. Your booking will be prioritised if you are travelling for the pre-sessional events

and therefore have an earlier arrival date.

We cannot guarantee accommodation will be provided for bookings made less than

14 days in advance of the date of travel, and carriers may refuse entry to flights

without proof of an MQS booking.

You must complete the following steps to book funded managed quarantine for the purposes

of travelling to COP26:

1) Register on the UNFCCC portal

2) Confirm your vaccination status on the UNFCCC portal

3) Once you have registered, complete this form: COP26 MQS Booking Request to

book your managed quarantine stay. You will need:

a) Your flight details

b) Your passport number

c) Your unique Document Identification number (this can be found in your

UNFCCC registration confirmation letter)

4) Once you have submitted the form, please wait at least 5 working days for

confirmation of your booking. Booking requests will be prioritised by date of arrival.

You will receive an email from CTM to confirm submission of your request

5) When your booking request has been processed, you will receive:

a) Confirmation of hotel booking

b) An invoice number – this will be required to complete your Passenger Locator

Form and you may need to present this to carriers or border force if required.

Please note no payment will be required.

If, after you have completed your booking you need to change your flight details or other

details of the booking, you can complete this COP26 Amendments & Cancellation

Form and the booking will be rearranged for you.

Please note: It is important that you inform us by using the above amendment and

cancellation form if your MQS booking is no longer required for any reason. Whilst we

understand that plans may change, failure to cancel your booking will limit capacity for other

travellers. Failure to show up to your managed quarantine booking will be

investigated.

If the list of red list countries changes before COP26 and the country or territory you are

travelling from is no longer on the red list, you will be contacted to confirm the cancellation of

your managed quarantine booking.

6. FAQs

What is the MQS hotel cancellation policy?

If you no longer require MQS because you are no longer attending COP26, you must

complete the COP26 Amendments & Cancellation Form to cancel your booking. It is

very important that if you no longer require MQS that you cancel your booking. Failure to

cancel your booking will limit capacity for other travellers.

If you paid for your booking separately because you do not qualify for funding, please defer

to the guidance on the CTM page.

What if the country I am travelling from comes off the red list more than 10 days

before I travel and no longer need a MQS hotel?

If the country you are travelling from ceases to be on the red list 10 days prior to travel, you

will be contacted to confirm the cancellation of your managed quarantine booking.

What if I test positive just before travelling? Will my MQS be cancelled or refunded?

If you paid for your MQS booking as you do not qualify for funding, you can follow the

guidance on the CTM page to cancel your booking and claim a refund.

If you qualify for funding and did not pay for your booking, please complete this form:

COP26 Amendments & Cancellation Form to cancel your booking. Failure to cancel

your booking will limit capacity for other travellers.

Can I pass my MQS booking to a colleague if I can no longer travel?

You will need to complete this form: COP26 Amendments & Cancellation Form and

ensure all your information is changed to your colleagues information, this includes their

vaccination status.

What will be provided during my MQS stay?

During your MQS, 3 meals a day, drinks and snacks will be provided. Vegetarian, vegan and

Halal diets can be accommodated, please specify any dietary requirements on the booking

form. COVID-19 testing will also be provided as well as transfers to your quarantine hotel

and then transport back to your port of arrival once you have completed quarantine.

Can I get extra snacks / drinks during my MQS stay?

There is a 24-hour room service option to provide additional food and drink. The MQS

package will include three meals a day, tea, coffee, fresh fruit, water and soft drinks. The

hotel will provide menus to facilitate choice of meals and will accommodate any dietary

requirements. Meals will be delivered outside the hotel room door via contactless delivery.

If you have items delivered to you during the quarantine period (such as food deliveries),

they’ll be brought to the door of your hotel room by the managed quarantine hotel staff.

What if I need special facilities or arrangements for a disability or medical condition?

Attendees with a medical condition or disability should declare this, along with subsequent

support needs, when making your MQS booking. If your disability or medical condition is

severe, and you are concerned that you will not get the support you need in a Managed

Quarantine Hotel, you may wish to apply for a modification to the duty quarantine in a

managed facility and quarantine elsewhere instead. Government guidance on how to make

an application can be found here.

Where should I pick up the COVID-19 test kit?

The tests you will need to carry out in MQS will be provided in your hotel room.

Who will pick up my test and submit it for testing?

There will be staff in the hotel who will pick up your test from your hotel room and ensure

that it is sent to the lab for testing.

How long does it take to receive the test results?

PCR tests are sent to the lab and you can expect results within 36 hours. In some cases it

could take 48 hours for the results to be returned.

Are they PCR tests?

Yes, in managed quarantine you will be required to complete three PCR tests if you are

completing 5 days of MQS on day 0 and day 3. You will complete a third PCR test on day 8

after exiting quarantine. You will be required to complete two PCR tests if you are completing

10 days MQS, this will be on day 2 and day 8. This is set out in Annex B - MQS Calendar.

Can I go to the hotel gym or pub?

No, you must stay inside your MQS hotel room for the required amount of time without

leaving for any reason other than an emergency.

What do I do at the airport?

When you arrive in England you’ll need to provide your completed passenger locator form to

Border Force officers alongside your passport and negative COVID-19 test result. You will be

escorted through the airport with other passengers who need to stay in a quarantine hotel.

Please follow signs and instructions for the Managed Quarantine Service.

Officials will meet you at passport control. They will guide you through baggage claim and

customs to the dedicated hotel transport.

What if I fall ill during my managed quarantine stay or require welfare support?

There is a package of medical and welfare support in managed quarantine available to all,

and emergency healthcare is available. Your hotel reception team will have contact details

for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week access to primary care.

I am under 18 and cannot bring anyone with me, can I still travel?

You are not permitted to travel to COP26 and stay in a MQS hotel without a responsible

adult.

I am under 18 and my responsible adult is not vaccinated, what MQS should I book?

If you are under 18 and are travelling with a non-vaccinated adult, you will need to undertake

10 days MQS. The booking form will ask you to confirm that you are under 18 and have a

responsible adult with you.

ANNEX

Annex A: What to expect in 5-day managed quarantine

For COP Participants that are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 or have not declared their

vaccination status, please read the gov.uk guidance on what to expect in a 10 day managed

quarantine.

Arrivals:

● When you arrive in England you’ll need to provide your completed passenger

locator form to Border Force officers alongside your passport and negative

COVID-19 test result.

● You will be escorted through the airport with other passengers who need to

stay in a quarantine hotel. Please follow signs and instructions for the

Managed Quarantine Service.

● Fully vaccinated COP26 participants from red list countries will be required to

undertake their first PCR test within 48 hours. This test is designed to help

identify any potentially concerning variants of COVID at the earliest

opportunity.

● If the result comes back positive, then the individual will then be required to

extend their managed quarantine stay by a further 10 days.

● If you are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or have not declared your

vaccination status you will be required to undergo 10 days in managed

quarantine. Please defer to the gov.uk guidance for what to expect in 10 day

quarantine.

Getting to the hotel:

● Officials will meet you at passport control. They will guide you through

baggage claim and customs to the dedicated hotel transport.

● A note will be made of where you sit on transport to ensure NHS track and

trace will be able to identify anyone in close contact, in the scenario where

someone tests positive.

● Face covering will always be mandatory (unless exempt) and must always be

worn when not in your hotel room.

● Transport and hotels will be wheelchair accessible.

Check in and stay at MQS hotel:

● You will then spend the next 5 days in managed quarantine if fully vaccinated,

and 10 days if unvaccinated. Length of stay will be determined by your

declaration of vaccination status on the UNFCCC portal and in the managed

quarantine booking form.

● When checking into the hotel, security will ensure all guests have read and

signed the Guest Information/ Compact form which outlines isolation rules.

● Managed quarantine hotels have clear procedures in order to reduce the risk

of COVID -19.

● Whilst at the hotel, you are required to adhere to all procedures in place, with

any serious breaches resulting in debadging from the conference, as set out

in the COP26 Code of Conduct.

● Before travel, you must ensure you have packed all essential items you think

you will need. This includes medication, chargers etc.

● You are not allowed to leave your room except under exceptional

circumstances.

● It is not allowed to visit friends/ family/ other COP26 participants in other

rooms, nor is it allowed to host them in yours.

● You will also be provided with three meals a day, tea, coffee, fresh fruit, water

and soft drinks. The hotel will provide menus to facilitate choice of meals and

will accommodate any dietary requirements. Meals will be delivered outside

the hotel room door via contactless delivery.

● There is a 24-hour room service option to provide additional food and drink.

● Rooms will be single occupancy unless you are under 18 and require a

double occupancy room with a fully vaccinated responsible adult. You can

specify this on the managed quarantine booking form.

● If you develop symptoms during their stay, you must remain in your hotel

room and phone hotel reception to order an additional test.

Day 3 PCR test:

● Hotel staff will leave test kits outside your managed quarantine hotel room.

These kits come with full instructions on use and will need to be completed as

soon as possible to ensure swift collection by hotel staff. The PCR test is a

swab of both nostrils and the back of the mouth and can be self administered.

● Tests are required by the COP26 Code of Conduct and by Law. Failure to do

so may lead to a temporary suspension from the event and serious breaches

may lead to debadging. Criminal prosecutions may also be pursued if serious

breaches occur.

Departure day:

● Contingent upon a negative Day 3 PCR test, you will be allowed to leave

managed quarantine hotels after completion of 5 full days, starting from

midnight the day of arrival and ending on midnight of day 5 (see Annex B for

an MQS calendar).

● Accommodation will be provided for the final night to facilitate a comfortable

departure on the following day at your time of choosing.

● Transport will be provided from your hotel back to your port of entry from

where you can arrange onward travel. Alternatively, you are free to arrange

your onward travel directly from the managed quarantine hotel at any time

following completion of 5 full days of quarantine and receipt of a negative

PCR test taken on day 3.

● Release from managed quarantine is dependent upon the maintenance of

good health (no COVID-19 symptoms) after receiving a negative Day 3 test

result. You will receive your test results by SMS and email.

● Hotel staff will need to be shown, in an email or SMS, negative test results

before leaving. If this cannot be provided, then an extended stay in managed

quarantine will be required.

● This will also occur if a positive result is received in the arrival PCR test or

you develop symptoms and test positive after an additional future PCR test.

● Guests will be given an additional PCR test which they will take with them and

complete on day 8.

Annex B: MQS Calendar

5 day Managed Quarantine illustrative calendar (vaccinated red list arrivals)

Arrival Day

Action

Day 0

Arrive in the UK (this runs until midnight of the day you land in the UK)

Take 1

Arrival PCR test (to be taken as soon as possible and no later than

48 hours after arrival)

Day 1

This starts at 0.01 am on the first day after you arrive in the UK

Day 2

Day 3

Take 2

PCR test

Day 4

Day 5

The duty to undertake managed quarantine lasts until midnight on day 5.

After this point you are free to leave the MQS as long as you have received a

negative result on their 2

PCR test taken on day 3 and are not displaying

symptoms of COVID-19.

Departure

day

Transport will be provided from your hotel back to your port of entry from

where you can arrange onward travel.

Alternatively, you are free to arrange their onward travel directly from your

managed quarantine hotel at any time following completion of 5 full days of

quarantine and receipt of a negative PCR test taken on day 3.

You will be given an additional PCR test which you will take with you and

complete on day 8. You will be able to post the completed test for free or

drop it at a collection point in Scotland.

10 day Managed Quarantine illustrative calendar (unvaccinated red list arrivals)

Day

Action

Arrival day in the UK (this runs until midnight of the day you landed in the

UK)

This starts at 00:01 on the first day after you arrive in the UK

Take a COVID-19 PCR test (for variant surveillance). You should receive

your test result within 48 hours

Take a COVID-19 PCR test. You should receive your test result within 48

hours

Departure

day

You can leave quarantine when you have completed 10 full days of

quarantine and received a negative result from the test you took on day 8,

provided you remain well and do not display any symptoms of COVID-19.