Coronavirus and Summer Travel 2021: What You Need to Know
Are you having second thoughts about travelling this summer? Read on! Because we’ll explain how to travel in summer 2021, and propose alternatives to having to waste 10 days and a thousand pounds at a quarantine hotel upon your return.
Where to travel in summer 2021?
Currently, UK travel restrictions are reviewed every 3 weeks and countries are moved up and down according to the traffic light system.
We advise you to make travel plans accordingly; for example, when a country is on a green list, make sure to plan your return before the review.
If your home country is on the red list, you can still make plans and book a trip to a country on the green or amber list to avoid hotel quarantine upon your return to the UK. If you are able to stay longer than 3 weeks in your home country, plan for a longer stay and you may return when your home country moves onto the green or amber list.
As of today, the countries on the green list and green watchlist are below. You don’t have to quarantine upon return to the UK if a country is on the green list. However, the countries on the green ‘watchlist’ are at risk of being downgraded to amber list at a short notice.
Anguilla (green watchlist)
Antigua and Barbuda (green watchlist)
Antarctica/British Antarctic Territory (green watchlist)
Australia
Balearic islands (Formentera, Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca) (green watchlist)
Barbados (green watchlist)
Bermuda (green watchlist)
British Indian Ocean Territory (green watchlist)
British Virgin Islands (green watchlist)
Brunei
Cayman Islands (green watchlist)
Dominica (green watchlist)
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Gibraltar
Grenada (green watchlist)
Iceland
Israel and Jerusalem (green watchlist)
Madeira (green watchlist)
Malta
Montserrat (green watchlist)
New Zealand Pitcairn
Henderson
Ducie and Oeno Islands (green watchlist)
Singapore
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
St Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
Turks and Caicos Islands (green watchlist)
The traffic light lists in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can be different to England’s, so please follow individual government website advice.
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How is the green list decided?
Countries get on the green list from the amber list; if the data in that country is reliable, the infection rates and the numbers of connecting international passengers and variants are low, vaccine roll-out is quick and efficient. These are the general considerations, however the government hasn’t published their decision-making process.
First, let’s go over the UK’s traffic light system and how it works.
How does the UK's traffic light system for travel work?
The UK government advises to only visit the green list countries. You still need to provide a negative PCR test result to be able to travel, whether you’ve been fully vaccinated or not.
If you have visited a country on the red or amber list within the past 10 days, but are returning to the UK from a country on the green list, you will still need to follow the rules of the red/amber list country.
Green List Rules
One test within 72 hours of departure (to the UK)
A PCR test taken on or before the second day back in the UK
Passenger locator form
Fit to Fly and Day 2 COVID-19 test costs around £60
Amber List Rules
Pre-departure test
Quarantine for 10 days at home
PCR tests on days two and eight, with the option to pay for an extra test on day five to be released from isolation early.
Passenger locator form
Amber list PCR package cost starts from £189
Red List Rules
Pre-departure test
Hotel quarantine for 11 days
PCR tests on days two and eight
Passenger locator form
Red list PCR package and hotel quarantine costs £1,750 per person
Malta
Countries Accepting UK Travellers Without Quarantine
Madeira and Malta require all holidaymakers to have a negative PCR test result.
Portugal has announced that everyone who had both doses of the vaccine at least 15 days prior to travel will be exempt from any testing and quarantining.
Spain recently announced that British citizens would require a certification of full vaccination as well. So those travelling to The Balearic Islands will need to have both their vaccines and provide a negative PCR test result.
Those arriving in Montserrat, Grenada, the Cayman Islands and Anguilla have to quarantine even when vaccinated. Unvaccinated arrivals in Barbados have to self-isolate for at least five days, and all tourists entering the country must show a negative PCR test.
Fully vaccinated UK residents can enter Denmark and Switzerland without the need to quarantine. It’s the same for France, however even when fully vaccinated you must provide a negative PCR test result. Iceland also permits entry to fully vaccinated UK residents but only for essential travel.
How about the rest of Europe?
Italy, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands require UK travellers to quarantine upon arrival.
What about travelling to Turkey, Greece, Croatia or Cyprus?
Turkey is currently on the red list, however, coronavirus cases in Turkey have dramatically decreased while vaccination has increased. This might prompt the UK to put Turkey on the amber list in the next review.
Antalya Greece is on the amber list, and the country requires a negative Covid-19 PCR test (taken within 72 hours before arrival)/antigen test (taken within 48 hours before arrival) or proof of two vaccinations at least 14 days before travelling from the UK in order to avoid quarantine.
Croatia is also on the amber list, and it accepts the NHS app to demonstrate your COVID-19 vaccination status. If you are not fully vaccinated, you must provide a negative COVID-19 antigen or PCR test result taken up to 48 hours before arrival in Croatia, or a certificate of recovery following a positive test result between 11 and 180 days prior.
Cyprus is on the amber list and is currently asking UK travellers who had both their vaccines to provide a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel. Travellers who aren’t fully vaccinated are required to quarantine for 7 days at an authority-designated accommodation.
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