Exemption cards for face coverings

In England, you now must wear a face covering by law in many indoor settings. This is to help control the spread of the Covid-19 virus. There are exemptions to this, for example if you feel it will cause you distress. If this is the case for you, you may wish to carry an exemption card with you (see below).

It is now mandatory to wear a face covering in England in the following settings:

• public transport
• indoor transport hubs (airports, rail and tram stations and terminals, maritime ports and terminals, bus and coach stations and terminals)
• shops and supermarkets (places which are open to the public and that wholly or mainly offer goods or services for retail sale or hire)
• indoor shopping centres
• banks, building societies, and post offices (including credit unions, short-term loan providers, savings clubs and money service businesses)

The law may be different in other parts of the UK, which you can learn more about here.

You do not need to wear a face covering if you have a legitimate reason not to, for example, if wearing or removing a face covering will cause you severe distress. Some people with epilepsy tell us that wearing a face covering causes them anxiety and distress, this may increase their risk of having a seizure. Therefore they choose not to wear one.

There is no exemption to wearing a face covering for people with epilepsy, but it’s important to consider your own individual risk, balancing the increased likelihood of a seizure against the importance of safeguarding others around you through wearing a face covering. If you decide not to wear a face covering, you may like to carry an exemption card with you in case you are asked why you aren’t wearing one.

You can download exemption cards below:

• Download printable exemption from face covering badge

• Download printable exemption from face covering card

• Download digital mobile phone exemption card

You can learn more about what wearing a face covering can mean for people with epilepsy here.