Rules have tightened around holidays today with changes to the traffic light system which saw different rules for quarantine and Covid tests. Portugal has been downgraded from the green list to amber. Green meant you could travel to this country and not have to quarentine on return.
With over 22.2m fully vaccinated people are Googling ‘Where can we travel right now?’ By travel, they of course mean trips abroad – no offence, staycationlovers. Because, while some did takeopportunities to travelabroad in 2020, most of us were too worried about the risk to do it ourselves. Now, desperate for an exotic break away 'Green list countries' is a key search term, alongside 'no countries added to green list'.
This is because the latest announcement from the Government revealed Portugal has been removed from the green list today - after being firmly on there for weeks, meaning many have already booked their holidays and are frantically trying to cancel now. It was announced no new country's will be added to it either.
So, from staycations to international travel, here everything you're asking Google when it comes to holidays, answered. See below for the new list of green, amber and red countries.
When can holidays resume?
Travelling within the UK has been allowed since 12th April and hotels in the UK and international travel have been allowed since May 17th.
Self-contained holiday accommodation, when can self-catering holidays start?
In England, self-contained accommodation, which includes second homes, self-catering cottages and caravans, opened on the 12 April – for household lets occupied by a single family. That means you can travel to an Airbnb within your household – those within your support bubble also count as part of one household.
When can I go on holiday in the UK?
Since 17 May you've been able to travel to self-contained accommodation, hotels, hostels and holiday parks. You can travel to a hotel in this stage, but you can only meet indoors with one other household or in a group of six.
Step four - which comes in from the 21st of June, is increasingly looking up in the air. If it goes ahead as initially planned then all legal limits on social contact will be removed – but this is subject to passing the four tests needed to move from step three to step four (which include the vaccination programme being successful and cases staying low - though we know the recent rise of the Indian variant looks like it could scupper this plan).
When can I go on holidays abroad?
International travel resumed on May 17, with the government using a traffic light system where certain countries will be considered either green, amber or red depending on risk level.
What is the UK travel traffic light system?
With countries split into green, amber and red categories - travel restrictions will be based on risk levels of each country. While there will be no travel ban on any of the countries, there will be different measures you have to take for each category including testing and quarantine periods.
What do I need to do if I visit a country on the green list?
Before you return to England you must: take a Covid test, book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test – to be taken after arrival in England and complete a passenger locator form.
What do I need to do if I visit a country on the amber list?
You must follow these rules even if you have been vaccinated. Before you travel to England you must: take a COVID-19 test, book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 travel tests – to be taken after arrival in England, complete a passenger locator form.
On arrival in England you must: quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days, take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8
Children aged 4 and under do not need to take the day 2 or day 8 test.
You may be able to end quarantine early if you pay for a private COVID-19 test through the Test to Release scheme.
What do I need to do if I visit a red list country?
If you have been in a country or territory on the red list in the last 10 days you will only be allowed to enter the UK if you are a British or Irish National, or you have residence rights in the UK.
You must follow these rules even if you have been vaccinated: Before travel to England take a COVID-19 test, book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests, complete a passenger locator form. On arrival in England you must quarantine in a managed hotel, including 2 COVID-19 tests.
What are the green list countries?
People returning from these countries will have to take a test before they return to the UK and one on day two after they return - but will not have to quarantine:
Australia
Brunei
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Gibraltar
Iceland
Israel and Jerusalem
New Zealand
Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira) Currently on the green list. Will move to amber list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the amber list rules.
Singapore
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
What are the amber list countries?
Afghanistan Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
The Bahamas
Bahrain Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Bosnia and Herzegovina
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue
Costa Rica Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Côte d’Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czech Republic (Czechia)
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Egypt Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Fiji
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Gabon
The Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece (including islands)
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Madagascar
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Myanmar (Burma)
Nauru
Netherlands
New Caledonia
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
North Macedonia
Norway
The Occupied Palestinian Territories
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
Poland
Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira) Currently on the green list. Will move to amber list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the amber list rules.
Réunion
Romania
Russia
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain (including the Balearics and Canary Islands)
Sri Lanka Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Maarten
St Martin and St Barthélemy
St Pierre and Miquelon
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Sudan Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United States (USA)
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Western Sahara
Yemen
What are the red list countries?
Afghanistan Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Angola
Argentina
Bahrain Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Bangladesh
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
Burundi
Cape Verde
Chile
Colombia
Congo (Democratic Republic)
Costa Rica Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Ecuador
Egypt Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Eswatini
Ethiopia
French Guiana
Guyana
India
Kenya
Lesotho
Malawi
Maldives
Mozambique
Namibia
Nepal
Oman
Pakistan
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Qatar
Rwanda
Seychelles
Somalia
South Africa
Sri Lanka Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Sudan Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Suriname
Tanzania
Trinidad and Tobago Currently on the amber list. Will move to red list 4am, Tuesday 8 June. If you arrive in England after then you need to follow the red list rules.
Turkey
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Uruguay
Venezuela
Zambia
Zimbabwe
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