Covid: Isle of Man arrivals warned to expect delays on Monday

People arriving on the Isle of Man on Monday have been warned to expect a "slight delay" at the ports.

A relaxation of the island's border restrictions will allow travellers from the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands who are fully vaccinated to visit without testing or isolation.

While people can legally arrive from 00:01, their applications will be manually processed by the border team.

A new online registration system will only come into force later in the day.

The new system is due to be in place by 10:00 BST, allowing visitors to complete their landing card and proof of vaccination documentation before arriving.

Head of borders Annie Taylor said the government could not turn the new system on and expect people to register until the laws were fully in place.

"People will be coming in on the current system and we need to convert them manually into the requirements of the new system," she said.

She added that any delays would only be "the time they take to fill forms in and be checked".

Under the new system, each person arriving will be issued with a unique QR code, which will be scanned at the ports to verify their right to enter.

Prior to the digital registration process being fully operational, additional border staff will be at the ports to supply physical copies of the required documents.

Passenger numbers are expected to treble as the relaxation kicks in.

A reduced testing and isolation regime will still be in place for those who have not been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks, or have spent time outside of the Common Travel Area within the 10 days prior to arrival.

The new rules apply to returning residents as well as visitors to the island.

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