Travel Guidance and Staying Safe

The below documents has been updated for October in line with the new guidance. If you cannot see the most recent versions please contact the team on visit@gov.im who will be happy to assist you.

As of 4am on Monday 4th October 2021 the Isle of Man has aligned itself with England’s rules for international travel. This means that for International Travel, the Isle of Man has moved away from the red, amber, green traffic light system to a simple system of the ‘red list’ and the ‘rest of the world’.

Travel to the Island is still prohibited if someone has travelled to, or through, a country on England’s travel red list in the 10 days before their arrival to the Isle of Man.
If someone has travelled to the ‘rest of the world’ in the 10 days before their arrival to the Isle of Man and they are fully vaccinated then they are not required to isolate or enter testing under the no isolation, no testing pathway. This applies to both residents and non-residents.
If someone has travelled to the “rest of the world” in the 10 days before their arrival to the Isle of Man and they are not fully vaccinated then they will be required to enter the 7 day isolation pathway. Non-residents would still have to meet the entry criteria detailed below that is currently in place.

The Island is delighted to welcome back visitors, with no testing or isolation on arrival, if you have had a full course of an approved COVID-19 vaccine or can evidence natural immunity and have not been in a red list country for the last 10 days. This includes children aged 12-17 who have received at least one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

The natural immunity exemption applies for those who:

have undertaken a PCR test within the 180 days prior to their arrival in the island and the result of that test was positive;
undertook that PCR test in the Common Travel Area
have not travelled outside the Common Travek Area in the 10 days prior to their arrival in the island; and
at least 11 days must have passed since receiving the positive PCR test result

Children aged 12-17 who are not vacinated will be required to follow Pathway 2 or Pathway 3 depending on their circumstance. Those aged 11 and under are not required to undergo testing or isolation.

Like many other destinations at this time, we are mindful of changes that are happening beyond our shores and we must remain vigilant to protect our residents and our visitors. For this reason, travel to the Island will remain temporarily prohibited to visitors (excluding residents, property owners and immediate family members) who don’t meet the eligibility criteria highlighted above.

Prior to Booking

At least 36 hours before you intend to arrive on Island, you must complete a Vaccination Exemption Form or an Immunity form.
Vaccination Exemption Form - You will be required to upload evidence that you have had the full course of an approved COVID-19 vaccine (two doses of either Pfizer BioNTech; Oxford/AstraZeneca; Moderna or one dose of Johnson and Johnson/Janssen or the clinically trialled Valneva, Novovax, Com-COV or Com-COV 2) with at least two weeks passed since the full course was administered. Children aged 12-17 must evidence that they have received at least one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine with at least two weeks passed.
Those who have turned 17 can apply for an exemption themselves, while applications for 12-16 year olds must be made by a responsible adult. Evidence can include:
- NHS England secure paper letter. Apply here.
- NHS Scotland secure paper letter. Apply here.
- NHS Wales secure paper letter. Apply here.
- Bailiwick of Guernsey secure paper
- States of Jersey secure letter
- NHS App PDF
- The NHS card issued when you receive your vaccinations, from any jurisdiction in the Common Travel Area
- Screen shot of Patient Access App
- Screengrabs and PDFs are acceptable
- EU Digital COVID Certificate (EU DCC) for travellers from Europe
- CDC card for travellers from the USA
Immunity Exemption - if you have natural immunity to COVID-19 this will need to be proved with a positive PCR test for COVID-19 completed within the CTA no more than 180 days and at least 11 days must have passed since receiving the positive PCR test result.
A member of the Isle of Man Travel Notification Service will then verify your application to ensure that it meets the criteria in place.
Once your details have been verified, you will be sent a notification email confirming if your application has been approved or declined. If approved, your email will include a Reference Number which you will need to complete your Landing Form no earlier than 48 hours before you are due to arrive on Island.
Ahead of booking, we also suggest contacting your travel insurance provider to fully understand what your insurance covers and reading the booking terms and conditions of any travel, accommodation, activity, attraction, eatery etc. you wish to make a booking with to ensure you are content with their booking, cancellation and flexibility terms.
In the event that you test positive for COVID-19 whilst visiting the Isle of Man, you and your party will be guided by the Isle of Man COVID-19 111 Team with regards to the requirements for testing and isolating.

Before Departure

No earlier than 48 hours before you are due to arrive in the Isle of Man, you must complete a Landing Form. One Landing Form per visitor must be completed, including one for each child under the age of 18. Please note that you will require ID upon arrival - this can include a passport, driving license or an alternative form of acceptable ID. A list of the acceptable ID can be found on page 10 of our Visitor Guidance.
When completing your Landing Form you will be required to input your Vaccination Exemption or Immunity Exemption Reference Number.
Once your Landing Form is completed, you will be sent an email confirming that you are exempt from self-isolation and testing upon arrival but that you must not enter health and social care settings (e.g. GP’s, dentist, opticians, care homes) for 10 days from your date of arrival (unless you have received prior approval).
On the same email will be a QR code/barcode. This QR code/barcode is important and will be scanned upon entry to the Isle of Man to show that all pre-requisites have been met.
It is advised to check with your airline or ferry provider to see if there are any measures in place whilst in the ports or on board (e.g. mandatory wearing of face masks).

On Arrival

You will be required to present the QR code/barcode (you may show a printed copy or a copy on a device) along with photographic ID at the entry point to the Isle of Man (please see Page 9 of the Visitor Guidance for a list of acceptable ID).
Please also ensure you have evidence to show that you have had the full course of an approved COVID-19 vaccine (two doses of either Pfizer BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZeneca, or Moderna or one dose of Johnson and Johnson) with at least two weeks passed since the full course was administered. For children aged 12-17, we will need to see evidence that they have received at least one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine with at least two weeks passed. We will not need to see the evidence if you have completed all of the above steps correctly prior to arriving.
If you are travelling with children aged 12 – 17 who have not been vaccinated, they will be required to follow the ‘Test and Release’ pathway (if travelling from the CTA) or the '7 Day Isolation' pathway (if travelling from the rest of the world).
For the 'Test and Release' pathway, each child must have a COVID-19 PCR test within 48 hours of arrival, and isolate until they receive a negative result. You are able to isolate in a shared space (such as your hotel room) with them but are otherwise unaffected by their isolation period. If they are still in the Isle of Man on day 6, they will also be required to take another test for ongoing monitoring and assurance purposes.
For the '7 Day Isolation' pathway, each child must have a COVID-19 PCR test within 48 hours of arrival, and isolate for 7 days. They are then required to take a further test on day 6 - if this is negative they may leave isolation on day 7, if it is positive they must continue to isolate until they receive a negative result.
Tests for both pathways are free of charge. Once you have completed a separate Landing Form for your child, you will receive an email with a link to pre-book their COVID-19 test. Alternatively you will be able to book by calling the 111 team (8am-8pm 7 days a week) on +44 1624 822111.
Children aged 11 and under are not required to undergo testing or isolation.
Lateral Flow Testing Kit: Visitors are encouraged to bring their own lateral flow testing kits to the Island and continue to test during their visit, if they so wish.

Staying Safe

Whilst visiting the Island, it is important that you take the recommended government measures to keep safe. There are several precautions that will help to reduce the risk of catching and spreading COVID-19. These, taken separately, can leave gaps in protection, but when practised together both personally and collectively, can be very powerful in mitigating the impact of the virus.

While there are no other formal restrictions in place, it is strongly recommended that you take personal measures to limit the risk to yourself and those around you. Each individual circumstance is different, but the following advice should be considered:

Face – face coverings can provide extra protection for those around you, and can help stop you from spreading the virus when you don’t know you have it. There is currently no legal requirement to wear a face covering when on the Island, however they must be worn whilst travelling via air or sea. You may also wish to consider wearing a face covering in public settings until day 10 after travel (where relevant). If face coverings become mandatory, guidance will be issued on https://covid19.gov.im/

Space – COVID-19 spreads through droplets and in confined, close or crowded settings. There is currently no legal social distancing requirement in place in the Isle of Man. Until day 10 after travel (where relevant), it is a good idea to think carefully about which people you come into contact with, particularly if meeting with those who might be vulnerable.

Hands – continue to clean hands and surfaces regularly, and maintain strong personal hygiene

Updated 06.10.2021

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Travel Guidance and Staying Safe