On 17 May, foreign leisure travel got the go-ahead in England.
Holidays have resumed under a traffic light system, with destinations graded as red, amber or green according to the level of risk of travellers reimporting Covid-19 infections.
According to the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, recreational travel is only recommended to countries on the green list; travellers have been advised they “should not be travelling to ‘amber’ and ‘red’ countries for leisure”. However, this advice lifts for amber countries from 19 July.
The “green list” was first revealed on 7 May, and the latest update was announced on 14 July.
But when will more countries be added to the list, and how often will it be updated?
Here’s what we know so far.
Which countries are on the green list now?
There are now 29 territories on the green list, many of which do not currently let in British travellers or are impossible to reach directly, thereby necessitating travel through an amber country.
On 14 July, four destinations were added: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Meanwhile, two destinations were pushed down to amber. These changes come into effect from 4am on 19 July.
Green list in full
- Anguilla
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Australia
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Cayman Islands
- Croatia
- Dominica
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Gibraltar
- Grenada
- Hong Kong
- Iceland
- Israel
- Madeira
- Malta
- Montserrat
- New Zealand
- Pitcairn Islands
- Singapore
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- Taiwan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
However, 16 of these destinations are on the green watchlist, meaning they are at risk of moving from green to amber:
Green watchlist destinations
- Anguilla
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Cayman Islands
- Croatia
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Israel
- Madeira
- Montserrat
- Pitcairn Islands
- Taiwan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
When will the green list be reviewed and updated?
Previous updates took place on 3 and 24 June and 14 July.
The lists are expected to be updated “every three weeks”. The next review is likely to happen on or around 4 August, with changes coming into effect at some point the following week.
Amends to the lists will be informed by public health advice, including the Joint Biosecurity Centre’s assessment of the latest data.
“These regular review points will allow the government to balance helping the public to understand Covid requirements when travelling to England while allowing us to constantly evaluate the risk for different countries,” according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
What are the rules for green list countries?
Green list countries have the lightest restrictions for inbound travellers to the UK, with no quarantine imposed and just one PCR test required within two days of arrival.
All travellers must also show proof of a negative Covid test – PCR, rapid antigen or lateral flow – before departure to the UK.
What are the rules for amber list countries?
Currently, all arrivals must quarantine for 10 days on entry to the UK and take three Covid tests in total: one pre-departure and two post-arrival PCRs.
However, transport secretary Grant Shapps announced that, from 19 July, double-vaccinated Britons (provided the second dose was at least 14 days prior) and accompanying under 18s will be exempt from quarantine when arriving into England from amber list destinations.
The requirements will be the same as those for green arrivals: a pre-departure test, and a day two PCR.
