The much simpler ‘Red List‘ came in to force at 4am on October 4th for all four nations of the UK and there are rumours that yet more countries may be removed from this ‘no go’ list from as early as the end of this week.
For a full update on changes to travel, please read the government news here. Covid rules around international travel may differ in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. It is very important that you adhere to the regulations that are applicable to the region where you live, not fly in to. For example, Wales will continue to require a PCR test on day two after your return; England will be bringing in the less expensive day two lateral flow test from the end of this month.
For travellers who have not been vaccinated for COVID or have only received one vaccination, rules around travel will be different in terms of testing and possibly quarantine, both at a destination and on return to the UK. It is generally also the case that for double vaccinated travellers, the second dose must have been received at least two weeks before travelling and only certain approved COVID vaccination brands are accepted.
Covid vaccination passes are predominantly required for international travel and should be downloaded from the NHS website or app pertinent to the nation where you received your vaccinations and your GP surgery is located. The passes are normally valid for 30 days from the date of issue and can be renewed again when required,
TIP: Don’t just rely on the ‘red list‘ to guide you in your travels. The Foreign Office travel advice for some destinations is at odds with their updated red list system so please review both. When deciding on your holiday destination, you should check the coronavirus entry requirements for that country – just because the UK are permitting you to travel there, doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no test or quarantine requirements on arrival.
The Foreign Office is no longer advising against travel to the Maldives and Sri Lanka, which is such great news and comes as a huge relief to those already booked to these destinations throughout the winter months.
Japan have announced the lifting of their Covid State of Emergency. Why not consider saying “Konnichiwa” to this wonderfully diverse destination!
As the United States prepares to re-open its borders next month, there has been much interest in cancelled holidays being rebooked. Those who have America as a firm holiday favorite and have placed new and exciting itineraries on hold are also now ready to fire ahead with booking and looking forward to their next visit.
Australia along with its national airline, Qantas, have brought forward plans to re-start international flights and re-open to the world once again. Initially planned for December, we can now look forward to Australia beginning to welcoming us back from next month.