Covid holidays: Red, amber and green list - where can I travel abroad and what are my rights?
A British Airways airplane takes off from Faro airport amid the coronavirus disease pandemic, in Faro, Portugal
Pedro Nunes
As the Government continues to raise concerns of the spread of a new Covid-19 variant and rising infection rates cases, it has left holidaymakers with a tough choice this summer.
Portugal was removed from the green list following the most recent review, causing chaos for holidaymakers abroad.
The Government has previously said assessments of travel lists are based on a range of factors, including the proportion of a population that has been vaccinated, rates of infection, emerging new variants, and access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing.
No 10 has said people should “stick to the green list if considering a foreign holiday, and not travel to amber or red list countries”.
The Government’s lists and rules only apply in England, but have been largely mirrored by devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Here's a look at where you can travel, what the rules are and your consumer rights.
Red List
Downing Street has not ruled out the Prime Minister taking a foreign holiday this summer.
Dominic Lipinski
If you have been in a country or territory on the red list in the last 10 days you will only be allowed to enter the UK if you are a British or Irish National, or you have residence rights in the UK.
Before you travel to England you must take a Covid test, book a quarantine hotel package and complete a passenger locator form.
On arrival in England you must quarantine in a managed hotel. Providing false information or breaking quarantine rules could result in a fine of up to £10,000.
Countries currently on the Red list include:
- Afghanistan
- Angola
- Argentina
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- India
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Tanzania
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Amber list
If you are travelling from an amber country, you must take a Covid-19 test, book and pay for day two and eight Covid travel tests (to be taken after arrival in England) and complete a passenger locator form. On arrival in England you must quarantine for 10 days and take a Covid-19 test on or before day two and on or after day eight.
People are cutting short their holidays to Portugal after it was placed on the amber list by the Government
Pedro Nunes
Countries on the amber list include:
- Akrotiri and Dhekelia
- Albania
- Algeria
- Andorra
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Armenia
- Aruba
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Comoros
- Congo
- Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Curaçao
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic (Czechia)
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- French Polynesia
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece (including islands)
- Greenland
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kiribati
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malaysia
- Mali
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Martinique
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Montserrat
- Morocco
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Nauru
- Netherlands
- New Caledonia
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- The Occupied Palestinian Territories
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Réunion
- Romania
- Russia
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Sierra Leone
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Korea
- South Sudan
- Spain (including the Balearics and Canary Islands)
- St Kitts and Nevis
- St Lucia
- St Maarten
- St Martin and St Barthélemy
- St Pierre and Miquelon
- St Vincent and the Grenadines
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United States (USA)
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vietnam Wallis and Futuna
- Western Sahara
- Yemen
Green list
Before you travel to England you must take a Covid-19 test, book and pay for a day two Covid-19 test (to be taken after arrival in England) and complete a passenger locator form.
On arrival in England you must take a Covid-19 test on or before day 2 after you arrive. You do not need to quarantine unless the test result is positive.
Some green list countries, such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, are closed to international tourists.
David Davies
Just 11 countries currently on the green list. They include:
- Australia
- Brunei
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- Gibraltar
- Iceland
- Israel and Jerusalem
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
- St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
What are my rights?
Although online travel firm On the Beach has stopped selling summer holidays due to a lack of “certainty or clarity”, many companies are selling and operating trips to amber countries.
Most travel companies are refusing refunds in those circumstances, although some firms, including Exodus, Kuoni and easyJet Holidays, have been praised by consumer group Which? for their flexible policies.
Travel firms should refund you for your cancelled trips, but this hasn't proved to be easy during the pandemic. With most cancelled flights you are due a full refund within seven days. You are due a full refund within 14 days with cancelled package holidays.
With bookings such as hotels and car hire you should still get a refund, but the rules are not as clear and so there are no guarantees.