How much does hotel quarantine cost?

The UK government has announced a package of tougher travel restrictions as part of its strategy to reduce Covid-19 transmissions.

A key element of this plan is to stop the spread of new variants of the virus via cases imported from abroad.

From 15 February, quarantine hotels are mandatory for arrivals from 33 high-risk countries including Portugal, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Passengers must arrive into five airports in England: Birmingham, Gatwick, Heathrow, London City and private jet terminal Farnborough.

All international arrivals into Scotland must go into hotel quarantine for 10 days, regardless of where they’ve come from.

These destinations are already covered by a travel ban, meaning the only travellers entering the UK from places on the high-risk list will be British or Irish nationals or those with UK residence rights.

They will be transported to designated facilities where they must self-isolate for 10 days.

But who pays for quarantine and how much will it cost?

The burden of payment for room and board falls upon the traveller, unlike some other countries, such as New Zealand, where the state has historically footed the bill for mandatory quarantine at a government-approved facility. Anyone travelling to the UK from a high-risk country must factor in the extra cost of spending 10 days in a quarantine hotel.

Fines of up to £10,000 will apply to arrivals who fails to undergo the stipulated hotel quarantine.

It is as yet unclear whether allowances might be made for returning Brits who simply don’t have the funds to cover the cost.

The full price will be £1,750 per traveller for 10 days. “Before they travel they’ll have to book a package costing £1,750 for an individual travelling alone,” said health secretary Matt Hancock of travellers from red list countries. “They’ll be escorted to a designated hotel.”

New Zealanders can complete their 14-day quarantine hotel stay for free – unless they stay in the country for fewer than 90 days or chose to leave and come back after charges were first imposed in July 2020. Those who fall into this bracket must pay NZ$3,100 (£1,618) for the first adult in each hotel room, NZ$950 (£496) for each additional adult and NZ$475 (£248) for each child sharing the room.

In Hong Kong, if you’re allocated a government quarantine centre, you may be asked to contribute around £20 (HK$200) per night towards the cost. A 21-day quarantine is mandatory for all permitted arrivals, so it adds up to around £420 – not bad for a three-week stay.

Cambodia has mandatory testing on touchdown; all arrivals must pay US$30 (£22) for an overnight stay at hotel or waiting centre and the same again for three meals a day while waiting for test result.

If one passenger tests positive for Covid-19, all those on the same flight will be quarantined for 14 days, at a cost of US$1,176 (£863) – but this includes meals, laundry, sanitary services, doctors and security services.

Arrivals to Thailand must quarantine in a state-approved hotel and pay for it – but they can pick from a substantial list of options to suit their budget and make the reservation themselves.

And in Australia, only those entering certain states have to pay for their hotel quarantine, with fees ranging from A$2,500 (£1,396) to A$3,000 (£1,675) depending on the state. Queensland, The Northern Territory, Western Australia and New South Wales currently charge; South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania have yet to introduce fees.

The price includes transport from the airport to the “government-approved facility” (the hotel), three meals a day, security and testing. During the stay “quarantinees” will undergo two Covid tests: one on day two, the next on day eight. Those who test positive are likely to have their stay extended, unless hospital treatment is needed.

The cost for additional people in the same room is significantly less than the rate. A second adult pays £650, and £325 for a child aged 5-12. Over 12s are counted as adults, under fives are free.

The price might also cover laundry and security services – but rooms are unlikely to be cleaned during a traveller’s stay due to the risk of coronavirus transmission.