New travel rules in the UK affecting holidays have come into force today as authorities look to tighten up border restrictions and curb the spread of the Omicron variant.
The latest Covid travel changes began Tuesday morning and will mean that anyone arriving into the UK will be required to take a pre-departure Covid PCR or lateral flow test within 48 hours before they're due to travel.
The updated rules come just weeks after the UK already updated its travel requirements for vaccinated arrivals in November, introducing the need to self-isolate until day two, at which point you need to take a PCR test and get a negative result.
The government has said that it will review travel restrictions every three weeks, and is expected to look at the latest changes again on December 20.
The wave of new travel rules and restrictions can be tricky to navigate - so we've put a guide together below which helps outline the key things you need to know.
What are the new travel rule changes in the UK?
There are changes for those travelling from countries on the UK's 'rest of the world list' - aka, not on the red list.
From 4am on Tuesday (December 7), anyone travelling to the UK from these destinations will need to show proof of a negative PCR or lateral flow (LFD) pre-departure test, taken no earlier than 48 hours before departure.
This applies to anyone aged 12 or above, for both vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers.
The new rules apply to anyone travelling into England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
If you're heading abroad you'll need to:
- Check the entry rules for your chosen holiday destination as each country has its own border requirements - you can find these in the Foreign Office travel advice for a country, or you can also speak to your holiday operator/travel agent.
- Take a pre-departure Covid test within 48 hours before your departure back to the UK.
- If you're vaccinated, you'll need to then self-isolate for two days and take a PCR test on day two, where a negative result releases you from self-isolation.
- If you're unvaccinated, you'll need to self-isolate for 10 days in the UK and take PCR tests on days two and eight.
The extra Covid test to return to the UK has added a further cost for anyone wanting to visit or go on holiday.
But the rules differ if you've been in a red list country - see below.
What about the red list?
When a country is added on the red list, the Foreign Office usually advises against all non-essential travel. Most holiday firms won't operate trips to red list countries.
(We've also got a guide on what happens if you booked a holiday and your destination goes on the red list, including your refund rights).
At the time of writing there are 11 countries on the UK's red list; Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Nigeria was the most recent addition on December 6.
Only British/Irish nationals and those with UK residence rights will be able to enter the UK from these countries. They will be required to take a Covid test within three days before travelling to the UK. You'll then be required to stay in a quarantine hotel for 10 nights with costs of up to £2,285 per adult, along with two PCR tests on days two and eight.
The quarantine hotel stay must be pre-booked, or you could face being denied entry into the UK and potentially a fine.
Due to the developing situation, travel rules can still change quickly. While the information above is correct at the time of writing, always check the latest Foreign Office advice for a destination before booking or going on a trip.
A lot of holiday firms are offering flexible policies for those who have holidays booked but don't want to travel - as for refunds, you're only entitled to your money back if the travel firm has cancelled your holiday.
Sign up here to receive the Mirror's travel newsletter in your inbox with more updates, news and destination guides.
