Covid-19 Important Updates

Coronavirus/Covid-19: Latest Information

Read our latest travel FAQs. Read more
We have introduced a number of measures onboard to ensure your wellbeing. Read more here.
Please check you are able to enter the country you are travelling to before setting off - More info can be found below

Latest Update - 18 September 2020

DFDS has continued to operate ferry schedules across Europe to support communities, ensure vital trade links remain open and goods can be delivered to shops and businesses.

Please see below the current status for each passenger ferry route.

Route	Current Status
All routes	Face coverings: To ensure the wellbeing of both our guests and staff on board, we are introducing a route wide face covering policy for passengers. All guests must wear face coverings at check-in, whilst boarding, and during disembarkation. This applies for both foot and car passengers, as well as freight drivers. We also highly encourage our guests to wear face coverings whilst moving around our spacious vessels. Face coverings do not need to be worn when guests are in their cabins+, when guests are seated in a socially distanced manner or whilst social distancing on outside decks. There will also be specific announcements broadcast through the ships public address system with advice relating to local government requirements. + Except for the shared cabins on routes to/from Klaipeda.
Copenhagen-Oslo Frederikshavn - Oslo	Ferries are running to normal timetables for all passengers Customer-facing staff wear face masks or visors when not protected by plexiglass screens. Read more about our face covering policy at the top of this page. Travelers from all regions of Denmark need to quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in Norway. For business travelers, there are alternatives to quarantine. Read more here. Further details about entry into Norway here Further details about entry into Denmark here
Amsterdam-Newcastle	Ferries are sailing to normal schedule from 15th July for all passengers. You can read our face covering policy at the top of this page. Due to continued government measures intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus, it is now compulsory to quarantine for 14 days on arrival to the UK from France or The Netherlands from 04:00 on Saturday 15th August. Please note all passengers need to have a booking to travel before arriving at port. We ask passengers to keep their distance onboard and follow the crew directions. Shops are now open with social distancing measures in place. In accordance with UK guidelines, face masks must be worn whilst in UK port terminals. As per UK Government regulations, you are required to read the latest UK public health advice and related duties for entering and staying in the UK before you travel. Read more here. Note: All passengers are required to register their contact, travel and address information 48 hours before arrival into the UK, by completing this online form. Local restrictions are in place across North East England from 18 September. Face coverings must be worn on public transport across the region. Bars, restaurants and other leisure venues will close between 22:00 – 05:00. For more info, see here. Face coverings are mandatory on public transport and in certain areas of Amsterdam. Please check local guidance on face coverings before visiting here. If you are travelling through Belgium to the UK, you may have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival. You will need to quarantine if you stop and exit your vehicle in Belgium and interact with other people. This also applies to coaches, trains and other group methods of transport. Details about entry into Netherlands here Details about entry into UK here
Dover-Calais Dover-Dunkirk	Ferries are sailing to normal schedules. You can read our face covering policy at the top of this page. Due to continued government measures intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus, it is now compulsory to quarantine for 14 days on arrival to the UK from France or The Netherlands from 04:00 on Saturday 15th August. Please note all passengers need to have a booking to travel before arriving at port. Your complimentary Meal and drink can be taken at any of our outlets that are open at the time of travel. Limited menu available to choose from at each outlet. We ask passengers to keep their distance onboard and follow the crew directions. The Seven Seas restaurant will be open on all sailings. The shop will be open for 30-40 minutes each sailing where social distancing measures will be in place. The Premium Lounge and Relax Lounge will be open from 25 July with a limited service and 50% capacity to ensure social distancing. Due to French medical association requirements, the wearing of facemasks is now compulsory for all passengers travelling on our routes between UK and France. Passengers who are exempt from wearing face masks for health reasons are required to provide medical proof of their condition on request and to practice social distancing at all times. As per UK Government regulations, you are required to read the latest UK public health advice and related duties for entering and staying in the UK before you travel. Read more here. Note: All passengers are required to register their contact, travel and address information 48 hours before arrival into the UK, by completing this online form. If you are travelling through Belgium to the UK, you may have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival. You will need to quarantine if you stop and exit your vehicle in Belgium and interact with other people. This also applies to coaches, trains and other group methods of transport. Details about entry into France here Details about entry into UK here
Newhaven-Dieppe	Ferries are sailing to normal schedules. You can read our face covering policy at the top of this page. Due to continued government measures intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus, it is now compulsory to quarantine for 14 days on arrival to the UK from France or The Netherlands from 04:00 on Saturday 15th August. Please note all passengers need to have a booking to travel before arriving at port. Capacity on each sailing is now reduced for passengers. Due to Covid-19 measures, cabins are limited and subject to availability. The shop will be open for 30-40 minutes each sailing where social distancing measures will be in place. The cafeteria is open on all sailings and social distancing measures will be in place. The bar onboard remains closed until further notice. Due to French medical association requirements, the wearing of facemasks is now compulsory for all passengers travelling on our routes between UK and France. Passengers who are exempt from wearing face masks for health reasons are required to provide medical proof of their condition on request and to practice social distancing at all times. As per UK Government regulations, you are required to read the latest UK public health advice and related duties for entering and staying in the UK before you travel. Read more here. Note: All passengers are required to register their contact, travel and address information 48 hours before arrival into the UK, by completing this online form. If you are travelling through Belgium to the UK, you may have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival. You will need to quarantine if you stop and exit your vehicle in Belgium and interact with other people. This also applies to coaches, trains and other group methods of transport. Details about entry into France here Details about entry into UK here
Klaipeda-Karlshamn	Ferries are sailing to normal schedules. You can read our face covering policy at the top of this page. The shop, bars and restaurants are now open. Protective masks are mandatory in the terminal premises. All passengers going to Lithuania (except for transit travellers) are required to register their personal and travel information before their trip to Lithuania. Passengers need to complete the form prior the check-in and present the QR code confirmation to the check-in agent. You can fill in the form here. Details about entry into Lithuania here Details about entry into Sweden here
Klaipeda-Kiel	Ferries are sailing to normal schedules. You can read our face covering policy at the top of this page. The shop, bars and restaurants are now open. Protective masks are mandatory in the terminal premises. All passengers going to Lithuania (except for transit travellers) are required to register their personal and travel information before their trip to Lithuania. Passengers need to complete the form prior the check-in and present the QR code confirmation to the check-in agent. You can fill in the form here. Details about entry into Lithuania here Details about entry into Germany here
Paldiski-Kapellskar Paldiski-Hanko	Paldiski-Kapellskar route sailing to normal schedule for freight and those undertaking essential travel. Online booking is opened. Paldiski-Hanko route online booking is opened and sailing to normal schedule. Bar, restaurant and onboard shop are now open. Passengers are recommend to wear face coverings. Details about entry into Estonia here Details about entry into Sweden here Details about entry into Finland here

You can be secure that we have taken every precaution advised by the World Health Organisation to minimise the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 to protect the health of those travelling.

Our onboard and shore based crews are subject to strict hygiene measures, hand sanitizers are available everywhere for use and additional touch point cleaning is being undertaken.

Due to the limited number of passengers onboard our services, we have plenty of space to ensure guidance on social distancing can happen. Our outside decks are also open for use.

We are committed to the safety and welfare of our passengers and our crews.

We thank you for your continued support and look forward to seeing you onboard again soon.

Sincerely
Kasper Moos, VP & Head of Passenger

*Last updated 22nd March 2020 15:53

Service update for Kiel-Klaipeda and Karlshamn-Klaipeda

As per the Lithuanian government regulation, the transit period to cross Lithuania for foreign residents returning home expires at midnight on 26 March 2020.

On departures with Klaipeda as the destination, DFDS will not accept non-Lithuanian nationals who do not have a residency permit in Lithuania starting from 25 March departures. The above does not apply to freight drivers who can travel without restrictions, independent of nationality and residency status.

To encourage social distancing onboard to inhibit the spread of COVID-19, we have made the following changes to our onboard offering:

• All bars and the Mare Balticum restaurant will be closed
• New take away concept introduced for the self service restaurant
• Meals are provided in sealed disposable take-away packages for consumption within cabins only
• Shops are operating in a limited capacity

Customers travelling to Klaipeda will receive a Passenger Card and a Consent Form for self-isolation during the check-in at reception. They need to be completed for arrival at the Klaipeda port. Please note that disembarkation in Klaipeda will take place as instructed by the crew. Due to the health check-up procedures it may take up to two additional hours.

The safety of DFDS customers and employees is our top priority and we greatly appreciate your understanding in this context.

There are no changes to our sailing schedules and booking remains open as we work hard to ensure that people can get home and undertake essential travel.

We are also conscious that our routes between Lithuania and Germany/Sweden are an important part of the arteries of trade and we will provide frequency and capacity to ensure that vital goods can reach businesses.

We would like to express our appreciation to our dedicated ferry crews and the shore staff who ensure DFDS provides continuous service to take you to your destination responsibly and safely.

For more information and local government advice, please see our FAQs here.

Sincerely,

DFDS Lithuania

last updated 19th March 2020 18:40pm

Important Update - UK France Routes

Following the significant measures taken by European governments to inhibit the spread of COVID-19, we will now make further changes to our onboard offering on our routes Dover Calais, Dover Dunkirk and Newhaven Dieppe.

To support those undertaking essential travel at this difficult time, we will continue to provide a complimentary meal for all drivers and now also for our passengers until further notice. Due to the limited number of passengers onboard our services, we have plenty of space to ensure guidance on social distancing can be supported for our passengers, drivers and crew. Our outside decks are also open for use.

There are no changes to our sailing schedules and booking remains open as we work hard to ensure that people can get home and undertake essential travel. We are also conscious that our routes between the UK & France are an important part of the arteries of trade and we will continue to provide frequency and capacity to ensure that vital goods can reach shops and businesses.

Onboard our ships we have already taken significant measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 including:

• Hand sanitizer dispensers are installed everywhere on the ship for use.
• Ongoing extra touchpoint cleaning
• Ships’ crew is subject to strict measures and hygiene requirements.
• Ships carry a stock of masks to limit the spread of infection, if the need should arise

You can be secure that we have taken every precaution advised by the World Health Organisation to minimise the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 to protect the health of those travelling.

DFDS also offers you full flexibility if you wish to change your travel plans easily and without financial impact to you. For bookings to travel until 30th of April 2020, we offer:

• Free rebooking with no amendment fees.
• Free cancellation and a travel credit equivalent to your original ticket price will be issued and can be used as payment on future sailings
• In order for the above to come into effect, please advise us at least 24 hours before departure
• Travel Credit expires 31 Dec 2020 and travel must be conducted by 30 March 2021
• The travel credit is a personal travel credit and cannot be transferred to others

For more information and local government advice, please see our FAQs here.

We are committed to the safety and welfare of our passengers, drivers and crew whilst travelling with us and we will continue to do so during this difficult period.

Sincerely
Kasper Moos, VP & Head of Passenger

last updated 18th March 2020 17:25pm

Amsterdam - Newcastle route temporarily suspended

Following the introduction of many UK & Dutch government measures intended to delay the spread of COVID-19 virus, we regret to inform you that we will temporarily suspend sailings on our Amsterdam - Newcastle route.

We fully understand the government’s precautions have important health goals, and as our priority is to ensure the safety and health of our customers and crew, we have taken this difficult decision.

The last departure from Amsterdam will be Saturday 21 March. The last departure from Newcastle will be Sunday 22 March. This suspension will be up to and including 13 April at the earliest.

Please note that it is possible to rebook online and we encourage customers to do that as soon as possible here. Bookings that have not been rebooked online via self-service by Friday 3rd April will automatically be cancelled and a travel credit issued. If you prefer something other than travel credit, please contact us via e-mail on travel.sales@dfds.com

As our call centre is currently extraordinarily busy, we kindly ask you to use e-mail rather than calling us.

If you have any queries, visit our frequently asked questions here.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our valued passengers.

Sincerely Kasper Moos, VP & Head of Passenger

16 March 2020

Important COVID-19 Information - UK France Routes

Over the last few days, the French government have taken a number of significant measures as part of efforts to inhibit the spread of COVID-19.

Included in those measures are restrictions around the number of people gathering in one place and the closure of bars, restaurants, museums, some shops and other venues until further notice within France.

There are no changes to our sailing schedules but we have taken the step of reducing the maximum number of people allowed on each crossing by 50% on our Dover Calais, Dover Dunkirk and Newhaven Dieppe routes until at least the 6th April.

Passenger booking remains open as we work hard to ensure that people can get home and undertake essential travel. We are also conscious that our routes between the UK & France are an important part of the arteries of trade and we will continue to provide frequency and capacity to ensure that vital goods can reach shops and businesses.

Onboard our service we have already taken significant measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 including:

• Hand sanitizer dispensers are installed everywhere on the ship for our passengers to use. • Ongoing extra touchpoint cleaning. • No more than 100 people in each of our venues onboard • The ships’ crew is subject to strict measures and hygiene requirements. • The ships carry a stock of masks to limit the spread of infection, if the need should arise.

You can be secure that we have taken every precaution advised by the World Health Organisation to minimise the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 to protect the health of those travelling.

We are committed to ensuring our passengers have the best service and experience whilst travelling with us and we will continue to do so during this difficult period.

For more information and local authority advice, please see our FAQs here. For the latest update from the EU commission, please see here https://twitter.com/vonderleyen

last updated 16th March 2020 10:22am

Important COVID-19 Information - Mini Cruises to Amsterdam & Newcastle

Over the last few days, the Dutch government have taken a number of significant measures as part of efforts to inhibit the spread of COVID-19.

Included in those measures are restrictions around the number of people gathering in one place and the closure of all bars, restaurants, museums, some shops and other venues until further notice within the Netherlands.

As a result of this DFDS will temporarily suspend all mini cruises with immediate effect until at least 6th April. Mini cruise bookings up to and including this date will be automatically cancelled with immediate effect and a travel credit will be issued to use on a future sailing.

Please only contact us when you know your new minicruise travel date since we are extraordinarily busy at the moment and the travel credit can be used as part/full payment at the time.

The Amsterdam Newcastle service will continue to sail for those travelling on a transport booking with your vehicle or as a foot passenger and bookings will remain available. Onboard our service we have already taken significant measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 including:

• Hand sanitizer dispensers are installed everywhere on the ship for our passengers to use.
• Ongoing extra touchpoint cleaning.
• Buffet food now served to passengers by our staff
• No more than 100 people in each of our venues onboard
• The ships’ crew is subject to strict measures and hygiene requirements.
• The ships carry a stock of masks to limit the spread of infection, if the need should arise.

You can be secure that we have taken every precaution advised by the World Health Organisation to minimise the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 to protect the health of those travelling.

For more information, please contact the Dutch authorities directly here and DFDS FAQs here.

We apologies for any inconvenience this may cause our passengers.

Sincerely
Kasper Moos, VP & Head of Passenger

last updated 16th March 2020 17:25pm

Important COVID-19 Information - UK France Routes

Over the last few days, the French government have taken a number of significant measures as part of efforts to inhibit the spread of COVID-19.

Onboard our service we have already taken significant measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 including:

• Hand sanitizer dispensers are installed everywhere on the ship for our passengers to use.
• Ongoing extra touchpoint cleaning.
• No more than 100 people in each of our venues onboard
• The ships’ crew is subject to strict measures and hygiene requirements.
• The ships carry a stock of masks to limit the spread of infection, if the need should arise.

You can be secure that we have taken every precaution advised by the World Health Organisation to minimise the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 to protect the health of those travelling.

We are committed to ensuring our passengers have the best service and experience whilst travelling with us and we will continue to do so during this difficult period.

For more information and local authority advice, please see our FAQs here. For the latest update from the EU commission, please see here https://twitter.com/vonderleyen

15th March 2020

Important COVID-19 Information – Your Safety & Flexibility

Dear Customer,

Given the very challenging times across the world right now, I wanted to inform you of what we are doing at DFDS with regards to the outbreak of Coronavirus / COVID-19 to provide you with flexibility and a safe and comfortable journey.

Following measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 taken by many European governments, we have temporarily suspended our Copenhagen – Oslo service. All our other ferry routes across Europe are operating to normal timetables. As some governments have introduced new entry requirements, please check with the local authority for the country you are visiting before setting off.

Hygiene & Safety

As our guests' safety and security are of the highest priority, we have, in line with WHO’s recommendations, introduced measures to minimize the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19. Information is provided to all passengers about hygiene procedures and precautions to prevent the spread of infection. This includes:

Hand sanitizer dispensers are installed everywhere on the ship for our passengers to use.
Ongoing touchpoint cleaning.
The ships’ crew is subject to strict measures and hygiene requirements.
The ships carry a stock of masks to limit the spread of infection, if the need should arise.

You can be secure that we have taken every precaution advised by the World Health Organisation to minimise the spread of Coronavirus / COVID-19 to protect your health whilst travelling.

Booking Flexibility

You may understandably be concerned about your booking to travel. DFDS offers you the flexibility to change your travel plans easily and without financial impact to you. For bookings to travel until 30th of April 2020, we offer:

Free rebooking with no amendment fees.
Free cancellation and a travel credit equivalent to your original ticket price will be issued and can be used as payment on future sailings.
In order for the above to come into effect, please advise us at least 24 hours before departure
Travel Credit expires 31 Dec 2020 and travel must be conducted by 30 March 2021
The travel credit is a personal travel credit and cannot be transferred to others

Contacting Us

Due to increased demand, our contact centres are very busy so please check our frequently asked questions https://www.dfds.com/en/passenger-ferries/corona-virus for information. The situation is changing all the time and we will continue to provide updates so please check for the latest information.

DFDS has been operating for over 150 years with a commitment to ensuring our passengers have the best service and experience whilst travelling with us and we will continue to do so during this difficult period.

Sincerely, Torben Carlsen, CEO

14th March 2020

Important Denmark travel information - Coronavirus / COVID-19 update

Dear Customer,

Over the past few days, the Danish government have taken a number of significant measures as part of efforts to inhibit the spread of COVID-19.

As part of these measures, new entry restrictions to Denmark are being introduced as at 12:00 CET on March 14 2020.

Passengers wishing to enter Denmark must expect to be rejected at the Danish borders, unless they have a recognized purpose for entry - eg. if the person in question lives or works in Denmark or has to deliver goods.

For more information on these restrictions, please contact the Danish authorities directly here https://politi.dk/coronavirus-i-danmark/in-english/minstry-of-justice-12-03-2020

We regret any inconvenience this may cause our passengers.

Sincerely Torben Carlsen, CEO

European entry restrictions - Coronavirus / COVID-19 update

Over the past few days, many European governments have taken a number of significant measures as part of efforts to inhibit the spread of COVID-19.

As part of these measures, new entry restrictions to many countries are being introduced.

Please check with relevant government authorities for the country you are travelling for the latest advice before you start your journey.

Due to these measures we have suspended our Copenhagen – Oslo route temporarily until 1st of April as a minimum.

We regret any inconvenience this may cause our passengers.

Sincerely Torben Carlsen, CEO

Important Lithuania travel information - Coronavirus / COVID-19 update

Dear Customer,

Over the past few days, the Lithuanian government have taken a number of significant measures as part of efforts to inhibit the spread of COVID-19.

As part of these measures, new arrangements for the Lithuanian border crossing are being introduced with immediate effect for travellers arriving / departing from / to many countries including Germany and Sweden.

For more information on these arrangements, please contact the Lithuanian authorities directly here http://lrv.lt/en/relevant-information/coronavirus-in-lithuania/relevant-information-1 or by calling +370 5 236 2444

We regret any inconvenience this may cause our passengers.

Sincerely Torben Carlsen, CEO

Important France travel information - Coronavirus / COVID-19 update

The French government have taken a number of significant measures within France as part of efforts to inhibit the spread of COVID-19.

Our ships sailing Dover Dunkirk, Dover Calais and Newhaven Dieppe will continue to sail with important safety measures already implemented.

For more information from the French authorities, please visit https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/coronavirus-covid-19

For more information about our safety measures, visit https://www.dfds.com/en/passenger-ferries/corona-virus

Sincerely Kasper Moos, VP & Head of Passenger

13th Match 2020

Copenhagen-Oslo route temporarily suspended

Following the introduction of new Danish and Norwegian government measures intended to delay the spread of COVID-19 virus, we regret to inform you that we will temporarily suspend sailings on our Copenhagen-Oslo route.

The last departure from Copenhagen will be Saturday 14 March. The last departure from Oslo will be Sunday 15 March. The suspension will be until 1 April at the earliest.

If you have an existing booking, your booking will automatically be cancelled. You will receive a credit voucher which you can use at a later date, equivalent to the original ticket price. If you prefer an alternative, please contact us on travel.sales@dfds.com.

If you have any other queries about the impact of COVID-19, visit our frequently asked questions here. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Sincerely Torben Carlsen, CEO

12th March 2020

Dear Customer,

Various countries are currently introducing extensive measures to delay the spread of COVID-19 / Coronavirus.

DFDS will naturally adapt to the recommendations and advice provided.

However, the governments do not want to bring transportation to a halt. Therefore, we will continue operating our ferry routes.

As our highest priority is to ensure our passengers a safe, secure and comfortable journey, we will follow government recommendations to limit the number of people gathered in one place on board.

We will also continue to follow our robust procedures for avoiding the spread of the virus through increased cleaning and disinfecting on board. We will continue giving advice to our passengers on how to avoid spreading the virus through hygiene measures and keeping a safe distance from other people.

We will continue to do our utmost to ensure you have enjoyable experience on board.

However, we also understand that the situation is creating concerns among many people. Therefore, we will offer customers who have a booking before the 30 April, up to 24 hours before departure, the option to change their booking to a credit voucher to be used at a later date.

As our call centres are extra busy, we kindly ask that re-booking requests are made via email travel.sales@dfds.com

Sincerely Torben Carlsen, CEO