May 14^th 2021

On Monday 17^th May 2021 we will see the recommencement of international travel after months of being told it is illegal to take a holiday, with only absolute essential travel being sanctioned.

The transport secretary Grant Shapps announced that overseas travel would work on a traffic light system which would be reviewed every 3 weeks from the restart date above. There were many countries and tourist hotspots that had hoped to make the much anticipated ‘green list’ but in the end only 12 countries and territories made the cut.

The traffic light system means (as you guessed) countries are categorised into red, amber and green, based on the number of Covid-19 positive cases and the rate at which, the country in question, and its residents are being vaccinated. Also the threat of transmission of any new variants.

We must remember that this list has been compiled by the UK Government and gives the signal to those countries it deems safe for us to visit. However, you must check the entry requirements for each country to be sure that at this time you fit the criteria to cross those borders, with their own rules currently in place. For more information as to the entry requirements per country then visit this link.

So, what does the traffic light system mean when it comes to travelling? Regardless of whether UK residents have been fully or part-vaccinated they will still be required to undertake covid tests, isolate, or quarantine on arrival into the UK, depending on which colour country they are returning from.

Here we look at the requirements of each category of the traffic light system.

Green List Countries

Those passengers travelling to a ‘green list’ country will be required to:

·       Check the entry requirements of the country before departure of the UK

·       Take a Covid-19 test within 72 hours of arrival into the UK (for example if you are arriving on a Friday the test must be taken on the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday)

·       Book and pay for a futher Covid-19 test to be taken on day 2 after arrival into the UK

·       Fill in a passenger locator form

Amber List Countries 

At present the FCDO is advising against leisure travel to any ‘amber list countries‘

Those passengers travelling to an ‘amber list’ country will be required to:

·       Check the entry requirements of the country before departure of the UK

·       Take a Covid-19 test within 72 hours of arrival into the UK (for example if you are arriving on a Friday the test must be taken on the Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday)

·       Book and pay for a further 2 Covid-19 tests to be taken on day 2 and day 8 after arrival into the UK

·       Fill in a passenger locator form

In addition to the above passengers are required to self-isolate either at home or at the place that they are staying for 10 days.

You may be able to reduce your self-isolation period if you enter the ‘test to release’ system, which requires you to pay for a private covid-19 on day 5 and produce a negative result.

Red List Countries

At this time travel to red countries is seen as ‘essential only’, with the UK Government advising against all leisure visits to these destinations.

Those passengers travelling to a ‘red list’ country will be required to:

·       Check the entry requirements of the country before departure of the UK

·       Book a quarantine hotel and 2 Covid-19 test package, which will require you to quarantine in such hotel for 10 days

·       Fill in a passenger locator form

Unlike the amber list countries, you cannot enter the test to release scheme and have to complete the full 10 days quarantine in the hotel at a cost to the passenger.

So which list did your destination country make?

GREEN LIST COUNTRIES

For the full list of amber and red countries CLICK HERE

© CURRENCY ONLINE GROUP

14^TH MAY 2021