There are hopes that Turkey holidays could be back on the cards for Brits with the UK government expected to give a travel update on Thursday this week.
Turkey has been on the red list since May meaning that almost all travel was banned, and anyone returning to the UK is required to stay in a quarantine hotel for at least 10 days. (This was costing £1,750 until recently when prices have been increased to be over £2,000).
The rules mean that holidays were banned, but there are hopes that this week could see Turkey moved to the amber list.
This means that Brits would be able to visit Turkey for holidays. On their return, they would need to take a pre-departure test, as well as PCR tests on days two and eight. Adults who are not fully vaccinated will need to self-isolate for 10 days, but children and adults who are double-jabbed can swerve the isolation.
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The hopes that Turkey could go amber comes as the country has seen a drop in coronavirus case numbers - according to Reuters data, the country reported 162 infections per 100k people in the last seven days, which is lower than the UK's current rates of 348 infections per 100k people. The country is also rolling out vaccines across its population.
The Turkish embassy in London said in a statement that "the scientific data on Covid-19 support our expectation that Turkey will be removed from the red list at the upcoming review".
Turkey has long been a firm favourite with Brits for holidays so if it is moved to amber, it could be a huge boost for holidaymakers.
The good news is that the country is currently set to welcome both unvaccinated and vaccinated Brits for holidays.
At the time of writing, Turkey welcomes British travellers provided they have a negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours prior to arriving in Turkey. The country also requires all travellers to complete and online form within three days of travel.
There is no quarantine required for Brits who arrive in Turkey.
However, it's worth noting that there are some regions in Turkey where the Foreign Office advises against travel, irregardless of Covid-related advice.
This includes:
- areas within 10 km of the border with Syria, except the city of Kilis (see below)
- all other areas of Sirnak, Kilis (including Kilis city) and Hatay provinces
- the provinces of Diyarbakir, Tunceli and Hakkari
- the whole of Turkey based on the current assessment of COVID-19 risks
You can get more information in the Foreign Office's Turkey travel advice.
There are a number of other changes expected in the upcoming travel announcement including a number of green destinations potentially being moved to the amber list.
Analysis by Paul Charles from travel consultancy The PC Agency has found that Croatia, Madeira and Israel could be at risk of going from green to amber. A number of Caribbean islands such as Anguilla, Antigua and the Turks and Caicos Islands could also be at risk.
Meanwhile, some countries could be added to the red list following rising numbers of coronavirus cases including Jamaica, St Lucia, Dominica and Morocco added to the red list.
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