On 17 May, foreign leisure travel got the go-ahead in England.
Holidays 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.
The “green list” was first revealed on 7 May, and the latest update was announced on 4 August, with the changes coming into effect from 4am on 8 August.
But when will more countries be added to the list, and how often will it be updated?
Here’s everything you need to know.
Which countries are on the green list now?
There are now 36 countries and territories on the green list, a number of which do not currently let in British travellers or are impossible to reach directly, thereby necessitating travel through an amber country.
On 4 August, seven destinations were added: Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Latvia, Romania and Norway. None of the existing green list members were pushed down to amber in the latest update. These changes come into effect on Sunday 8 August.
Green list in full
- Anguilla
- Antigua & Barbuda
- Australia
- Austria
- Barbados
- Bermuda
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Cayman Islands
- Croatia
- Dominica
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Grenada
- Hong Kong
- Iceland
- Israel
- Latvia
- Madeira
- Malta
- Montserrat
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Pitcairn Islands
- Romania
- Singapore
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- 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, 14 July and 4 August.
The lists are expected to be updated “every three weeks”. The next review is likely to happen on 25 August, with changes coming into effect at some point the following week.
Amendments 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?
All unvaccinated adult arrivals from amber territories 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.
All travellers double-jabbed in the UK, US or EU and accompanying under-18s are able to swerve quarantine from amber territories and follow “green” rules instead: a pre-departure test, and a day two PCR.
All arrivals must be 14 days clear of their second jab to qualify for the quarantine exemption.
