The government has announced the new travel rules which come into effect on May 17, finally making your holiday dreams a reality.
Each foreign country (and island) has been given a colour (green, amber or red) as part of England’s traffic light travel system, which designates whether you’ll need to self-isolate when you return home.
You will not have to self-isolate upon return from a country on the green list, while if you visit a country on the amber list, you must quarantine at home for 10 days upon arrival back in the UK.
But what countries have been given the red light, and what are the rules?
Here is everything you need to know…
Which countries are on the red travel list?
Many destinations across the globe have been placed on the red list, including popular holiday destinations such as Turkey, the Maldives, Seychelles, South Africa, and Brazil.
Dubai is also a no-go for Brits, as United Arab Emirates (UAE) is also on the red list.
In addition, India has been included on the red list, following the country’s coronavirus crisis, which has seen mass crematoriums set up as 115 people die every hour.
For the full red, amber, and green travel lists visit gov.uk.
Grant Shapps has confirmed that the lists will be reviewed every three weeks, meaning that some of the countries featured on the list are subject to change over time.
How will the traffic light system work?
The lists will be decided based on the following criteria:
- The percentage of a country’s population that have been vaccinated
- The rate of infection
- The prevalence of variants of concern
- The country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing
What are the rules for travelling to an red traffic light country?
Travel to and from red list countries is greatly discouraged and only permitted if you have a legal reason to travel.
Red list countries have the strictest rules, with only UK or Irish nationals and UK residents allowed to return to the UK from red-listed countries.
If you are travelling from a red list country back to the UK, you must first:
On arrival in the UK, you must then quarantine in a managed hotel for ten days.
Currently, you can only travel abroad from England if you have a legally permitted reason to do so, and you’ll have to complete a declaration form for international travel.
Travelling without a reasonable excuse could be punished with up to a £5,000 fine.
It is likely those rules will remain the same for travel to red list countries after some travel restrictions are lifted on May 17.
Examples of reasonable excuses include traveling for work, volunteering, studying, legal obligations, medical reasons, to give assistance to vulnerable person, elite sports, attending a funeral, or going to the wedding or civil partnership of a close family member.
How much will I need to pay for a quarantine hotel?
You will need to agree to book and pay for a quarantine package before you complete your passenger locator form and board your return journey to the UK.
The package includes the costs of transport from the port of arrival to the designated hotel, food, accommodation, security, other essential services and testing.
You should expect to pay the following rates:
- Rate for one adult in one room for 10 days (11 nights) – £1,750
- Additional rate for one adult (or child over 11) – £650
- Additional rate for a child aged five to 11 – £325
When will holidays abroad be allowed?
The current lockdown roadmap states those living in England can travel to green list countries from May 17 at the earliest.
All being well, more countries may be added to the green list by the end of June.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not said when they might ease their strict travel rules.
MORE: How far can I travel in the UK right now?
MORE: The Maldives plans to offer Covid vaccines to tourists as a travel incentive
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