Mandatory forms for lorry drivers in Belgium, Austria, Spain and the United Kingdom
With the arrival of a new wave of COVID-19, some EU countries have decided to resume restrictions and introduce new border crossing rules. Mandatory forms for professional drivers were introduced by Spain, followed by Belgium. Austria has also developed a special document.
The mid-year suspension of the restrictions did not stop the spread of the pandemic. Everything indicates, that restrictions in Europe will resume again. This is indicated by the number of cases in Poland. In June, 10,228 new cases of infection were reported, while in July – already 10,893, with almost 1.3 thousand cases occurring in the first two days of August. A similarly large increase was recorded in many European Union countries, so the governments there decided to resume restrictions and border controls.
Spain – form for lorry drivers
Spain was the first to decide to resume restrictions on entry. An obligation to fill in a special form for truck and van drivers was introduced in Galicia.
This obligation applies to persons who wish to enter the region but have been in Catalonia, La Rioja, Navarre, Aragon, the Basque Country and abroad for the last 14 days.
The form must be completed online or by telephone within 24 hours of entering Galicia. It is available in several languages. It is important to indicate the country where the driver has been in the last two weeks (the country can be selected from the list available in the document).
>>> Form for drivers in Spain.
Form for drivers entering Belgium
Belgium has also decided to resume checks on entrances to Belgium, which has introduced the mandatory completion of the Passenger Locator Form since 1 August. This obligation applies to all drivers who intend to cross the national border and those who want to stay in Belgium for more than 48 hours. The document must be completed 48 hours before arrival to the Kingdom.
Quarantine for persons entering Austria
The Austrian government has developed a document that sets out the rules for the admission of foreigners. The document contains the following provisions:
– A total ban on entry from countries outside the European Union (so-called third countries),
– a 10-day quarantine obligation for third-country nationals residing in the European Union.
Please note that drivers of persons and goods are currently exempt from these restrictions. Currently, the regulations are valid until 30 September, but may be extended or modified.
>>> The restriction document in Austria.
United Kingdom – notification of arrival
In the case of the UK, drivers still have to report their journey by submitting a “Public Health Passenger Locator Form”. This can be done at the earliest 48 hours before entering the country.
The form must contain the following information: personal details, contact details, information about staying in the Islands and destination (in this case a justification on the basis of the CMR, Community license or letter from your employer will suffice).
The digital or paper version must be presented at the border. If the driver does not provide contact details, he will be fined GBP 100.
>>> Public Health Passenger Locator Form.
Please note that this form is only valid for professional drivers. If you are travelling to the UK you must be in quarantine for 14 days.