UK Advertising Production No Longer Exempt from Coronavirus Travel Restrictions

Advertising production crew in the UK are no longer exempt from coronavirus restrictions related to travel for work in the latest regulations.

The British government’s list of industries that benefit from exemptions, published on its website, lists advertising production as one of the jobs subject to change." This job no longer qualifies for an exemption as of 4am Monday 18 January 2021,” reads the latest guidance.

This means that executives and crew arriving in the UK for the purposes of advertising production will have to isolate for 10 days.

This latest change in regulation is a rollback of the policy that has been in place since September that permitted filmmakers working on advertising into the UK without quarantine. The exemption was developed with the Advertising Producers Association (APA), the trade body for commercials production companies, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport reflecting its long term support for the advertising sector and its role in economic growth and UK exports.

Film and TV production in general has been restricted beyond just that for advertising. The only media-related job on the government’s list still exempt from travel restrictions appears to be roles in the BBC’s broadcasting transmission network and services.