The government’s controversial traffic light travel system has been scrapped as part of new coronavirus rules designed to make travel to the UK “easier and cheaper”.
As of 4am today, the traffic light system involving green, amber and red lists was replaced with a new, simpler system with locations categorised as either on the red list or not.
People arriving from a red tier destination such as Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines or South Africa will still be required to spend 11 nights at a quarantine hotel costing £2,285 for solo travellers.
Fully-vaccinated residents – and unvaccinated under 18s – from more than 50 countries and territories can now enter the UK without needing to complete a pre-departure lateral flow test, take a day-eight post-arrival PCR test costing around £65, or self-isolate at home.
Under 11s were already exempt from pre-departure testing.
Previously, passengers arriving into the UK were required to take a pre-departure antigen test in the three days before departure, a day two test and a test on or after day eight.
Under the new rules, fully-vaccinated arrivals must still book and pay for a day two Covid test and add the details of the booking to a passenger locator form, which must be filled out in the 48 hours before arrival in UK.
Unvaccinated travellers will need to take a pre-departure test in the three days before returning to UK, book and pay for day two and day eight tests and complete a passenger locator form in the 48 hours before arrival – regardless of destination.
Upon arrival they must quarantine at home for 10 days, take a test on or before day two and on or after day eight.
In England, people may leave quarantine early if they pay for a day five private Covid test through the Test to Release scheme.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We are accelerating towards a future where travel continues to reopen safely and remains open for good, and today’s rule changes are good news for families, businesses and the travel sector.
“Our priority remains to protect public health but, with more than eight in 10 people now fully vaccinated, we are able to take these steps to lower the cost of testing and help the sector to continue in its recovery.”
The easing of the quarantine and testing regulations – announced last month – has been welcomed by the travel sector.
Airlines and tour operators have been hit hard during the coronavirus pandemic, and have accused the government of being too slow to relax and simplify the rules for international travel.
The government has announced that mandatory PCR testing for fully-vaccinated arrivals will be scrapped in favour of cheaper lateral flow tests, but no date has yet been set.
The Department for Transport said the government “aims to have it in place for when people return from half-term breaks”.
