Current coronavirus guidelines on meeting others

Stay local

From 12 March, 4 people from 2 households can meet outdoors for informal sport, recreation or socialising. Children under 12 do not count towards households or numbers when meeting outside. Children can meet outdoors for socialising and exercise including play-based activities. From this date young people aged 12-17 can meet in groups of up to 4, from 4 different households  for informal sport, recreation or socialising. This can take place in your local authority area (or up to 5 miles from the boundary of your local authority area).  You should travel no further than you need to reach to a safe, non-crowded place to exercise.

This rule doesn’t apply if the reason you’re meeting up is to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person. So a carer and the person they care for can meet with another person from another household outdoors for sport, exercise or social interaction. You can read the Scottish Government’s advice for unpaid carers here.

Some people can form an extended household with another family or person who they don’t live with. Our guide to extended households explains more.

Level 3

Up to 6 people from two households can meet up outdoors. Children under 12 don’t count towards the 6 people, or the number of households when outdoors. The rules are slightly different for those aged 12-17. They can meet up together outside in groups of up to 6 children from up to 6 households. However, if anyone in the group is younger than 12 or older than 17, they must stick to the rule of 6 people from 2 households.

Adults should try to limit the number of other households they see each day. The fewer people we meet, the less chance we have of passing the virus to lots of different households. So try to limit contact to the friends and family you really want to see!

Some people will be able to form an extended household with another family or person who they don’t live with. Our guide to extended households explains more.

Stay local

At the moment it isn’t possible to meet up with anyone indoors. However, there are certain reasons you can go into someone else’s home, or have someone else come into your home. These include:

• to carry out essential work (for example, if you need to call a plumber or electrician)
• to join your extended household
• to provide care and support for a vulnerable person. This can include providing emotional support for someone whose wellbeing is at risk, including for people who are isolated because of disability or a caring situation or where they are a parent or carer of a child under 1.

Level 3

If you’re in level 3, you can’t meet other households in their home or yours. This is because we know that the risk of passing the virus on to other people is higher when meeting in homes.

Whatever your level, if you are part of an extended household, all members of the extended household can meet in each other's homes. Our guide to extended households explains more. In addition, when you share parenting with someone, but live in separate homes, you can continue to do this. Our page on shared parenting has more information.

There are also some indoor exemptions to allow for informal childcare. Read our guide to childcare to learn more.

Another person can come into your home to provide care and support for a vulnerable person. This can include providing emotional support for someone whose wellbeing is at risk, including for those who are isolated because of disability or a caring situation or where they are a parent or carer of a child under one. So if you feel this applies to you, then a friend, family member or support worker can visit you in your home to provide this support. This person doesn’t have to be part of your extended household.

If you feel this applies to you, it doesn’t matter whether you are on your own with your child or live with someone else (for example, your partner or an older child). However, this person must be there to provide you with support because you’re feeling vulnerable or worried about your wellbeing, it isn’t just a social visit.

The person who comes to support you can travel from another local authority area or elsewhere in the UK if necessary. This is because travel for childcare or parental support services and travel to provide care, assistance, support to or respite for a vulnerable person are permitted.

When they’re visiting, make sure you stick to physical distancing and hygiene guidelines to ensure you both stay safe.

Again, the number of people you can meet depends on the level you’re in, as well as the activity. This table on the Scottish Government website sets out when cinemas, cafés, bowling centres and other leisure, entertainment and hospitality venues can open.

Stay local

At the moment it isn’t possible to meet up with anyone indoors, unless it’s for essential purposes, such as providing care. You can see a list of these essential purposes on the gov.scot website.

Level 3

You can meet others indoors in public places like cafés or restaurants in groups of up to 6 people from 2 households. Children under 12 from those 2 households aren’t counted towards the 6 people limit but they must be from the 2 households. However, bear in mind that if you are in level 3, some public places will be closed.

Stay local

From 12 March, 4 adults from 2 households can meet outdoors, including in your own garden. From this date, young people aged 12-17 can meet in groups of up to 4, from 4 different households. Everyone aged over 12 should maintain physical distancing.

However, children under 12 do not count towards households or numbers when meeting outside. This means that a group of under 12s can get together to play, as long as there are no more than 4 adults there from two households. But this should not be seen as an opportunity for lots and lots of children to play together. Children are still at risk of passing the virus among each other and to adults in their household, and you should try to keep the other children they see to a minimum while still letting them play together outside.

Level 3

If you’re in level 3, your child can’t have a playdate or a party with anyone from another household inside a home. However, they an have a playdate or party outside or inside a public place (in line with current measures) as long as you follow the guidance on meeting other households.

Bear in mind that some public places may be shut.

There should be no food sharing between households. Blowing out birthday candles and singing are unfortunately also risk factors for spreading the virus, so should be avoided. We know that this doesn't sound like any fun, but it is important to keep each other safe.

Yes, you can meet outside in an outdoor communal space or private garden as long as you follow the rules outlined above (see ‘can I meet up with friends and family outdoors?’).

If you need to go through someone's house to access their garden, you should do so quickly and without touching anything. 

If you need to use their toilet, avoid touching surfaces with your hands as much as possible, wipe any surfaces that you do touch with antibacterial wipes, wash your hands thoroughly, dry your hands with a freshly laundered towel or a paper towel, which you should dispose of in a closed bin.

If members of another household are going to visit you outside and might need to use your toilet, make sure cleaning materials are available. You should also provide either a hand towel for each visiting household or paper towels and a safe disposal option.

Carers can continue to go into homes to provide care. If someone from your household or a household you want to meet up with has a carer to help them, that carer is considered to be part of the same household as the person they care for, even if they don’t actually live with them. This means they can join when you meet up with other households, as long as you follow the rules about meeting up with other households as set out in the drop-down list at the top of the page.

You can read the Scottish Government’s advice for unpaid carers here.

Teenagers can meet up as long as they follow the rules for their area's level. Our page on coronavirus guidelines for children and young people explains more.

Our page on sport, play and children’s activities explains more about the sports you can play and where you can play them.

It’s fine to take the kids to the play park as long as you stick to the rules on meeting other people for your area’s level. Our page on sport, play and children activities has tips on how to use play parks safely.