Fully vaccinated travellers from the US and European Union (EU) countries will be able to avoid a 10-day compulsory quarantine when they arrive in England, however, travellers from India will still remain on the red list.
Travellers from France and India will have to stick to the 10-day quarantine rules even if they are fully vaccinated upon arrival in the UK.
Currently, only people who received their Covid-19 vaccine in the UK can avoid quarantine when arriving from these "amber list" countries under the government’s traffic list travel system.
“We’ve taken great strides on our journey to reopen international travel and today is another important step forward. Whether you are a family reuniting for the first time since the start of the pandemic or a business benefiting from increased trade this is progress we can all enjoy,” said UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
“We will of course continue to be guided by the latest scientific data but thanks to our world-leading domestic vaccination programme, we’re able to look to the future and start to rebuild key transatlantic routes with the US while further cementing ties with our European neighbours,” he said.
India remains on the red list under the international traffic system, which bans travel and imposes a compulsory 10-day hotel quarantine for returning British residents. The next review of that status is expected by the middle of next week.
However, with the Delta variant first detected in India continuing to be the dominant variant in the UK, India’s status on the travel advisory remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, from 4 am local time on August 2, passengers who are fully vaccinated in the EU with vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or in the US with vaccines authorised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or in the Swiss vaccination programme, will be able to travel to England without having to quarantine or take a Day 8 COVID test on arrival.
These amber list arrivals who have been fully vaccinated in the US and EU countries will still be required to complete a pre-departure test before arrival into England, alongside a PCR test on or before Day 2 after arrival. France continues to remain outside this ambit amid a surge in Beta variant cases in the country.
