The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced Portugal will be removed from England’s travel ban red list.
Ethiopia, Oman, Somalia and Qatar have however been added to the red list, to “protect the country against new variants of Covid-19”, the DfT said.
The decision to take Portugal off the list means returning travellers can quarantine at home, rather than in a hotel at a cost of £1,750.
At 4am on Friday, March 19, the changes will come in to force, reports Manchester Evening News.
Visitors who have departed from or transited through these countries in the previous 10 days will be refused entry into England.
Only British and Irish citizens, or those with residence rights (including long-term visa holders), will be allowed to enter and must stay in a government-approved facility for 10 days.
During their stay, they will be required to take a coronavirus test on day two and day eight.
A ban on commercial and private planes travelling from Oman, Ethiopia and Qatar will also come into force on Friday to reduce the risk of importing variants of concern. This excludes cargo and freight without passengers.
The change means that the flight and maritime ban from Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores) will also be removed.
The DfT said: "Portugal has put steps in place to mitigate the risk from its links with countries where variants have become a concern, and now has genomic surveillance in place."
Passengers arriving from Portugal must still self-isolate for 10 days at home and take a Covid-19 test on day two and day eight, and will be able to able to end self-isolation early through Test to Release.
Travellers who arrive before Friday must stay in their hotel rooms for the remainder of the quarantine period.
Red list travel ban countries
If you have been in or through any of the countries listed below in the previous 10 days, you will be refused entry to the UK.
If you are a British or Irish National, or you have residence rights in the UK, you will be able to enter. You must quarantine in a government approved hotel for 10 days.
- Angola
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Ecuador
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia (will be added to the list 4am Friday 19 March)
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Mauritius (will be removed from the list 4am Friday 19 March)
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Oman (will be added to the list 4am Friday 19 March)
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores) (will be removed from the list 4am Friday 19 March)
- Qatar (will be added to the list 4am Friday 19 March)
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Somalia (will be added to the list 4am Friday 19 March)
- South Africa
- Suriname
- Tanzania
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
