England updates Covid guidance for productions arriving from China

The British Film Commission (BFC) have updated Covid-19 guidance for incoming productions from mainland China.

The different rules for cast and crew travelling to England from mainland China end at 23:59 BST on 4 April 2023, in an update to the BFC's Working Safely During COVID-19 in Film and High-end TV Drama Production guidance.

Currently, cast and crew aged 12 or older arriving on flights from mainland China to England need to show a negative COVID-19 pre-departure test taken no more than two days prior to departure. If their flight is due to arrive in England after 4 April, cast and crew will not need to show notification of a negative test to their airline before they travel.

If they are travelling close to the date of the change, they should check whether their airline will expect them to show a negative test. There are no direct flights from mainland China to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. 

Film and high-end TV production is permitted in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and covers all aspects of the production process. Cast and crew working on film and HETV projects should continue to follow their production’s own COVID-19 protocols and the production-specific risk assessment. 

Further details can be found here under Travel to England.