What are new Covid travel rules? Green list traffic light system quarantine and PCR tests discussed.

From 17 May 2021, the rules for travel if you live in England:
Countries are in three categories - green, amber and red. Green countries have the fewest rules.

Their status depends partly on the number of Covid-19 cases in each country and the success of their vaccine roll-out.

Which countries are holidaymakers allowed to visit?
The government advises that not all the green list destinations are currently open to UK tourists and it is travellers' responsibility to check.

For example, travel to mainland Portugal and the Azores is currently for essential purposes only. This could change, as in March the Portuguese government said it hoped to welcome UK tourists in May.

The 12 countries and territories on the green list are:

Portugal
Israel
Singapore
Australia
New Zealand
Brunei
Iceland
Gibraltar
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands
St Helena, Tristan de Cunha and Ascension Island
The list will be reviewed every three weeks. Countries can be added or removed at short notice.

What are the rules for visiting a green country?
Travellers will need to:

Take a private Covid test in their holiday destination before returning home - this can be a lateral flow or PCR test
Fill in a passenger locator form online before leaving their destination
Take a private PCR test on or before day two of their arrival in England
There will be no need to quarantine when back home, or take additional tests, unless the post-arrival test is positive.

The cost of private PCR tests vary between suppliers, but the transport secretary said he hoped prices could come down to less than £50 per person. Tui Group is offering test packages for between £20 and £90.

Amber list banner
People should not be travelling to amber countries for leisure.

Travellers must:

Take a private Covid test before returning to England
Fill in a passenger locator form online before heading home
Self-isolate at home for 10 days
Take a private PCR test on or before day two of their arrival in England and again on day eight
They could end self-isolation early by taking an optional PCR test on day five, under the existing test to release scheme.

Red list banner
You should not be travelling to red countries for leisure.

Forty-three countries are now on the red list, including Turkey, India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Brazil and South Africa.

People can only enter the UK if they are a UK or Irish national (or UK resident).

Travellers must:

Take a private Covid test before returning to England
Fill in a passenger locator form online before they head home
Book a 10-day hotel quarantine and testing package for each member of their group before departure
Take a private PCR test on or before day two of their arrival in England and again on day eight
Countries can be added to the red list at short notice. If a country's status changes while you are visiting, you would have to follow the stricter rules on your return.