Business travellers to England are to be exempt from quarantine under new rules from the government.

Restrictions will be eased for the leaders of foreign multinational firms visiting English branches and bosses at firms planning to invest.

Returning executives will also be exempt from quarantine.

In each case, the business trips must result in a deal which creates or preserves 50 jobs or leads to a £100,000 investment or order, according to the department for transport.

The new rule will allow business people to travel to England from countries that are not on the list of travel corridors without having to isolate for 14-days on arrival.

The change – which will come into effect tomorrow morning at 04:00 – was announced in a tweet by transport secretary Grant Shapps.

New Business Traveller exemption: From 4am on Sat 5th Dec high-value business travellerswill no longer need to self-isolate when returning to ENGLAND from a country NOT in a travel corridor, allowing more travel to support the economy and jobs. Conditions apply.

— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) December 3, 2020

Travellers will have to demonstrate in an exemption letter that they are delivering these business benefits to the UK.

This letter will be checked by police or Border Force.

Performing arts workers, TV production staff, journalists and recently signed sports professionals will also be exempt, the government added.

Exceptions are also made for people coming from the Common Travel Area – the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man – or countries in travel corridors with England.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC chief executive, welcomed the move.

She added: “The World Travel & Tourism Council supports this initiative to kickstart business travel.

“WTTC, which represents the global tourism private sector, believes this move will bolster business travel and provide a significant boost to the fragile UK economy.

“Last year international business travel contributed £7.5 billion to the UK economy which demonstrates how vital it will be to reviving the country’s battered economic fortunes.”