British holidaymakers are expected to get the green light to travel to European holiday hotspots using vaccine passports.
European diplomats have signed off plans to allow fully jabbed holidaymakers from the UK to make non-essential trips, in a boost to hopes of summer breaks in the Europe.
The plan will now go to ministers from member states to approve.
The UK could also be included on an extended Brussels 'green list' allowing holiday travel from non-EU countries with infection rates below 100 cases per 100,000 people - but a decision is not expected until later this week.
A spokesman for the EU presidency confirmed they had agreed "certain waivers for vaccinated persons [and] easing the criteria to lift restrictions for third countries".
But that will not be enough on its own to open up breaks to the Continent - as destinations will need to be on the UK's own 'green list' too.
And it will be up to individual member states to decide if they will accept proof of vaccination to waive travel restrictions.
People from England should be able to use the NHS app to show they have had their jabs.
Ministers have sowed confusion over UK rules for travelling to 'amber' list countries which includes France, Spain and Greece.
And British tourists will still have to quarantine when they get home from those destinations.
Portugal and Greece are among the countries that have already begun welcoming UK tourists, but an EU-wide move would boost the chances of a major summer getaway.
British holidaymakers are currently banned from Spain, the most popular destination for UK holidaymakers.
There was more confusion over the Government's position on overseas leisure travel after ministers appeared to contradict themselves.
With a new traffic light system brought in on Monday to allow some foreign holidays to resume again after months of coronavirus lockdown, Boris Johnson stressed countries on the amber list are "not somewhere where you should be going on holiday".
But Environment Secretary George Eustice telling broadcasters people could go to amber-listed countries as long as they observed quarantine rules on their return.
And Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said the public should ask themselves whether a trip to a country on the amber list is "essential", before conceding that "some people might think a holiday is essential".
