Rules for Travelling To Green, Amber And Red List Countries

British tourists can now travel to Spain without taking a Covid test on arrival, but from 31 May UK visitors to France must quarantine for seven days.

The UK government says you should not visit most countries unless there are “exceptional circumstances”, reports BBC.

It is legal for people across the UK to take foreign holidays – although Welsh residents have been asked not to travel abroad.

On England’s traffic light list, foreign countries are classed as green, amber or red – with different rules for quarantine and Covid tests in place for each.

Government guidance is that you should not holiday in red or amber countries – which include Spain and most other countries.

Holidays to countries on the green list – including Portugal – can go ahead without a need to quarantine when you return.

The list is reviewed every three weeks and countries can be moved at short notice. There are similar rules for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Holidaymakers need to check whether their destination is admitting tourists. The government says this is the responsibility of travellers.

The European Union is working on a “white list” of countries whose citizens can visit freely. The BBC has been told this has been delayed.

UK travellers could be included, but some EU countries are concerned about a rise in cases of the Indian variant.

Holidaymakers can visit green list countries and territories without having to quarantine on their return.

The list currently contains only a small number of destinations – Portugal, Iceland, Israel, Brunei, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, the Faroe Islands, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, St Helena, Tristan de Cunha and Ascension Island.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapp said islands such as the Canaries and Majorca could be added to the green list from 7 June.

If you’re returning from a green list country, you must:

You do not need to quarantine on arrival unless your day two test is positive, or NHS Test & Trace informs you that you have travelled with someone who has tested positive.

Most countries in the world are on the amber list, including popular holidays destinations like Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Canada and the US.

Travel to amber list countries is legal, but the government has now made clear that people should not do so for leisure.

Asked whether it was responsible to go on holiday to an amber country, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The guidance is not to. We’ve said you should only go to amber countries in exceptional circumstances.”

Many companies are offering holidays to these countries and the BBC has spoken to people who say holiday companies are refusing to refund or exchange bookings.

If you’re returning from an amber list country, you must:

It may be possible to end quarantine early if you pay for a further private Covid test through the test-to-release scheme.

Red list countries are those the UK government says are at the highest risk from Covid, and should not be visited “except in the most extreme of circumstances”.

Dozens of countries are on the red list, including India, Pakistan, Turkey, Brazil and South Africa.

If you have been in one in the last 10 days, you can only enter the UK if you are a UK or Irish national, or UK resident.

If you’re returning from a red list country, you must:

Rates for these hotels are:

You can be fined £10,000 or jailed for providing inaccurate details.

Anyone planning to travel to an amber or red list country should check their proposed destination on the FCO country advice pages.

If the FCO advises against travel to a certain country, then travel insurance would almost certainly be invalid.

If not, then the cost of medical treatment abroad would be covered. In most cases that would include Covid.

People travelling to green list countries should also be aware that few policies will cover their costs if they contract Covid while away and can’t fly home.

People travelling from England who have had both Covid jabs can demonstrate their vaccination status via the NHS app or a letter.

People in Scotland can also now request a vaccine certificate from the NHS inform website or by calling 0808 196 8565, if they are due to travel in the next 21 days.