Brits hoping to enjoy a foreign holiday this summer face a summer of chaos as travel restrictions continue to thwart holidaymakers.
Travellers have been warned that changes can be made at short notice, meaning anyone going overseas must be able to quarantine when they return.
Hundreds of thousands of holidays have been cancelled this year, crippling the aviation and tourism industry, as the pandemic continues to rage.
As the number of new cases continues to rise across Europe, the list of countries Brits can safely visit continues to decrease.
Yesterday, Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic were stripped from the ‘safe’ list, meaning people arriving in the UK after 4am on Saturday must self-isolate for two weeks.
Popular holiday destinations France and Spain have already been removed – with little hope that they will be reinstated soon, as both countries continue to report thousands of new cases.
Croatia, Trinidad and Tobago, Austria, Monaco, Malta, Turks & Caicos and Aruba, Andorra, Belgium and the Bahamas, Serbia and Luxembourg have also previsouly been removed.
But Cuba has now been added to the ‘safe’ list, alongside Portugal, meaning holidaymakers can now travel there without having to isolate on return.
But the country has strict restrictions for tourists entering the country – with anyone staying at a hotel having to take a coronavirus test 48 hours before arrival.
The government has issued a list of 65 countries where Brits do not have to quarantine on return.
But many countries have restrictions on Brits entering, such as Norway which requires all UK citizens to self-isolate for 10 days.
Meanwhile, others are not accepting any UK tourists or require visitors to undergo coronavirus tests before entering the country.
We’ve pulled together the latest information on where holidaymakers can visit without having to self-isolate there or on return or have to undergo a mandatory test.
This list will be subject to change as more countries are added or removed.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has warned British holidaymakers that quarantine rules could continue to change rapidly.
Mr Shapps told Sky News: “Look there is a travel corridor list and I think it contains probably still about 55, 60 countries. It changes every week – a country went on – Cuba went on – the list yesterday, or goes on at the weekend.
“So, they are there for a reason. However, when people travel at the moment when coronavirus is still a thing… just need to be aware that unfortunately things can change very quickly and, you know, if you go with your eyes open and you know that things can change, it won’t then come as so much as of a surprise.
“Though as I say, sometimes countries just move very quickly.”
The 14 destinations without restrictions:
- Denmark
- Faroe Islands
- Germany
- Greece
- Gibraltar
- Greenland
- Italy
- Liechtenstein
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Turkey
The short list means many holidaymakers must self-isolate on return for 14 days after travelling abroad.
Here is the full list of countries restrictions currently apply too.
Some of the countries – such as Spain – do not require visitors to isolate while abroad.
The full list of ‘red zone’ countries:
- Austria
- Croatia
- France
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Monaco
- Malta
- Turks & Caicos
- Aruba
- Andorra
- Belgium
- The Bahamas
- Serbia
- Luxembourg
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Belgium
- Benin
- The Bahamas
- Bhuta
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo (Congo-Brazzaville)
- Costa Rica
- Cuba
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Luxembourg
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Myanmar (formerly Burma)
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine State
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- US
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Switzerland
- Jamaica
- The Czech Republic