Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has revealed the 12 green list countries. In a live press conference from Downing Street, Shapps announced that international travel will restart as planned on Monday 17 May using a traffic light system, with green list, amber list and red list countries meaning different rules around testing and quarantining for each.
‘We want a summer in which we can reunite family and friends, travel to places we love. We want to start looking outward again,’ Shapps said.
The green list countries that require you take one pre-departure test and one PCR test upon return to England or Wales – but all-importantly do not necessitate quarantine on arrival in the UK are:
Portugal
Israel
Singapore
Australia
New Zealand
Brunei
Iceland
Gibraltar
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
St Helena, Tristan de Cunha, Ascension Island
Lisbon, Portugal
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The amber list countries, which require home quarantine, a pre-departure test and PCR tests on days two and eight of isolation include: France, Spain, and Greece.
The red list remains largely unchanged, with travel from countries with variants of concern or high Covid rates requiring specific hotel quarantine at a cost of £1,750. They include South Africa, Brazil and India. Shapps announced that Turkey, Maldives and Nepal will also be added to the list.
Shapps also revealed that the lists will be revisited every three weeks, with changes likely to be made with limited notice if necessary.
It’s expected that much of Europe will make the green list over the summer when vaccination rates should continue to rise and Covid cases should have continued to drop further.
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