With the UK easing out of lockdown, many are wondering when international travel will be allowed again; and the government has confirmed that travel to and from England will go ahead with the help of a traffic light system. But how will it work, and which countries will be green? Here’s what we currently know.
What is the traffic light system?
The future of travel for English and Welsh residents all hangs on the follow-up to a report revealed by the Global Travel Taskforce confirming that a traffic light system will be in place, hopefully from the date that’s been given as the first we’re likely to be able to travel internationally: Monday 17 May 2021 – though this date has not been confirmed. The report states: ‘we cannot yet confirm resumption of international travel from 17 May. We will provide further details by early May.’
The traffic light system, however, will introduce a green, amber and possibly updated red list of countries, with each colour meaning different rules around testing and quarantining. It’s likely to look something like:
GREEN
One pre-departure test up to 72 hours before returning to the UK (type unspecified).
One PCR test on or before day two of arrival in England/Wales.
No quarantine unless a test is positive.
AMBER
One pre-departure test.
Quarantine at home for 10 days on arrival in England/Wales.
PCR test required on days two and eight of quarantine (reduced to day five by paying for the cost of an extra test on that day).
However, there are rumours fully vaccinated people could potentially avoid quarantine. This has not yet been confirmed.
RED
One pre-departure test.
On arrival, passengers must quarantine in a hotel for 10 days at a cost of £1,750 per person.
PCR test required on days two and eight of quarantine.
Passengers must book and agree to pay for a quarantine package before departing for the UK.
It’s worth remembering that other countries’ travel policies will differ from ours; so even if the government lists a country as green, we may not be allowed to enter if that country bans international travel. Countries may also have their own testing requirements upon arrival.
Scotland and Northern Ireland will have different rules on international travel, which are yet to be revealed. For advice, it’s best to check the local authority’s website as changes are constantly being made.
Traffic light country list
We don’t yet know the full list of which countries will be which colour in the new system, however there has been an existing red list in force since Monday 15 February 2021. The countries it includes are likely to change, so it’s advised to check regularly before travelling.
Shapps said on Friday 9 April that the full list of countries will be revealed in ‘two or three weeks’ – while the report, as stated above, mentioned it should be confirmed in ‘early May’.
Having said that, there have been widespread predictions about what we can expect from the traffic light system, with many suspecting that countries with low cases and deaths, high vaccination rates and low numbers of ‘variants of concern’ will be given the green light. Here’s some of the rumoured countries, and we’ll update this list as soon as we know more:
Green countries
1. Malta
2. Caribbean
3. The USA
4. Israel
5. Portugal
6. Gibraltar
7. UAE
Amber countries
1. Spain
2. Denmark
3. Greece
4. Cyprus
5. Turkey
Countries with an ongoing vaccination programme and stable case numbers – for example Spain, Greece and Cyprus – are expected to be put on the amber list.
Red countries
The current list of 39 red countries includes Brazil, South Africa and the Phillippines, although it could possibly change again before 17 May.
Will the traffic light countries change?
Almost certainly. The lists and restrictions will be formally reviewed in late June, meaning some countries could be moved up or down in time for high summer. For the first time, there will also be a watch list for countries that could move from green to amber. Since country lists and regulations are likely to still be somewhat fluid, we recommend booking a trip with a flexible policy and investing in travel insurance with Covid cover for extra peace of mind.
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