Where Can We Travel Right Now? Today’s Portugal Announcement And Green List Countries Explained

Here's everything you need to know about holidaying in 2021... (we wouldn't pack just yet..)

Woman going abroad

by Georgia Aspinall |
Updated on

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.

READ MORE: 22 Of The Dreamiest Airbnbs Right Here In The UK

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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