New destinations will be moved to the UK government’s green and red lists, as
part of a safe and cautious reopening to international travel.
From 4am on Monday 30 August 2021, Canada, Denmark, Finland,
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Switzerland, and the Azores will be
added to the green list, as the
risk that travel from these countries poses to public health in
the UK is low.
Travellers from these destinations will not have to quarantine
regardless of whether they are fully vaccinated, but
will still need to take pre-departure and
day 2 tests and
complete a passenger locator
form.
Thailand and Montenegro will be added to the red list from 4am on
Monday 30 August 2021, reflecting the increased case rates in
these countries and the higher risk that travel from these
countries poses to UK public
health. The high rates combined with lower levels of published
genomic surveillance in Thailand and Montenegro than other
countries mean that an outbreak of a new variant or existing
variants of concern (VOC) or variants under investigation
(VUI) cannot be
easily identified before it is imported and seeded across the
UK.
Passengers arriving in the UK
from these red list destinations will need to isolate for 10 days in a
managed quarantine facility and follow the necessary testing
requirements.
The data for all countries will be kept under review and the
government will not hesitate to take action should the data show
that countries’ risk ratings have changed.
All classification changes have been decided by ministers,
informed by the latest data and analysis by the Joint Biosecurity
Centre (JBC)
and wider public health considerations, to help the public
understand the risks to UK
public health from incoming travel from different destinations.
Continuing with our phased approach to restarting international
travel while protecting public health, we are engaging with
governments around the world, offering technical expertise and
support to help them make any improvements needed for a change in
traffic light rating.
If travelling abroad, passengers need to take steps to keep safe
and prepare in case things change before they travel or while
they are there. This includes checking and keeping up to date on
all entry requirements and FCDO
travel advice before booking foreign travel, ahead of
travelling and whilst they are abroad, because the situation
remains fluid. They should also check the booking terms and
conditions on flexibility and refunds.
