European Federation of Journalists

UK: Journalists with IFJ Press Card to be exempted from Covid quarantine rules

Credits: IFJ

The European Federation of Journalist and the International Federation of Journalists welcome the confirmation from the UK government that foreign journalists traveling to the UK will be exempted from the country’s quarantine restrictions from 4 am on Saturday 5th December if they hold an IFJ International Press Card.

The new rules were secured thanks to negotiations involving our affiliate, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).

NUJ General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet said: “This is welcome news for all those journalists who cross borders as part of their work, at a time when news and reporting is more important than ever. It’s a particularly welcome measure for freelancers who have lost work and income as a result of having to quarantine. We’ve been working hard to secure this exemption and welcome the efforts made by DCMS to achieve this.”

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: “Thanks to the efforts of the NUJ, journalists holding the International Press Card are now able to travel and work without unwarranted restrictions; We welcome the recognition by the UK government of the vital role of journalists and their status as key workers. This reaffirms the importance of the International Press Card.”

A similar exemption was negotiated by the NVJ, the Dutch journalists’ union.

Full guidance on the exemption will be published shortly on gov.uk.