Guidance published on red, amber and green list rules for entering England

Countries rated as red, amber or green for Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the rules you must follow to enter England.

From:

Department for Transport

Published

7 May 2021

Last updated

24 June 2021 — See all updates

Applies to:

England (see guidance for Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland)

1. Stay up-to-date
2. Red list countries and territories
3. Amber list countries and territories
4. Green list countries and territories
5. Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
6. Transit stops in amber or red list countries
7. Job and medical exemptions
8. Travelling abroad from England

Stay up-to-date

Countries and territories can be moved between lists if conditions change. Sign up for an email alert to be notified when this page is updated.

What you must do when you arrive in England from abroad depends on where you have been in the 10 days before you arrive.

This page lists countries and territories as red, amber or green and tells you what you must do if you have been in those countries or territories.

You can also read an overview of all the things you need to do to:

• travel abroad from England
• travel to England if you live in another country

Red list countries and territories

What you must do if you have been in a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days before you arrive in England.

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.

You must follow these rules even if you have been vaccinated.

Before travel to England

Before you travel to England you must:

• take a COVID-19 test
• book a quarantine hotel package, including 2 COVID-19 tests
• complete a passenger locator form

On arrival in England

On arrival in England you must:

• quarantine in a managed hotel, including 2 COVID-19 tests

Red list of countries and territories

You should not travel to red list countries or territories.

Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

You do not need to take a COVID-19 test or quarantine on arrival in England if you are travelling within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, (the Common Travel Area), and you have not been outside of the Common Travel Area in the previous 10 days.

Amber list countries and territories

What you must do if you have been in an amber country or territory in the 10 days before you arrive in England.

You must follow these rules even if you have been vaccinated.

Before travel to England

Before you travel to England you must:

• take a COVID-19 test
• book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 travel tests – to be taken after arrival in England
• complete a passenger locator form

On arrival in England

On arrival in England you must:

• quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days
• take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8

Read about quarantine and taking COVID-19 tests.

Children aged 4 and under do not need to take the day 2 or day 8 test.

You may be able to end quarantine early if you pay for a private COVID-19 test through the Test to Release scheme.

If you have been in a country or territory on the red list

If you have also been in or through a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.

Read about making a transit stop in a red list country or territory.

Countries moving to the red list

If conditions change in a country or territory, it can be moved from the amber list to the red list. If there is a sudden change in conditions, a country or territory may be moved between lists without warning.

Amber list of countries and territories

You should not travel to amber list countries or territories.

The amber list is not exhaustive. If a country or territory is not on this list, you should not assume that it is a green or red list country or territory. Countries and territories are only green or red if they appear on the green or red list.

Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

You do not need to take a COVID-19 test or quarantine on arrival in England if you are travelling within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, (the Common Travel Area), and you have not been outside of the Common Travel Area in the previous 10 days.

Green list countries and territories

This section tells you what you will have to do if you travel to England from a country or territory on the green list. You must only have been in or travelled through a green list country or the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man in the previous 10 days.

You must follow these rules even if you have been vaccinated.

Before travel to England

Before you travel to England you must:

• take a COVID-19 test
• book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test – to be taken after arrival in England
• complete a passenger locator form

On arrival in England

You must take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 after you arrive.

Children aged 4 and under do not need to take this test.

You do not need to quarantine unless the test result is positive.

You must quarantine if NHS Test & Trace informs you that you travelled to England with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

If you have been in a country or territory on the red or amber list

If you have also been in or through a country or territory on the red list in the 10 days before you arrive in England, you must follow the red list rules.

If you have also been in or through a country or territory on the amber list in the 10 days before you arrive in England, and have not visited a country on the red list, you must follow the amber list rules.

Read about making a transit stop in an amber or red list country or territory.

Countries on the green watchlist or moving to amber

If conditions change in a country or territory, it can be moved from the green list to the amber or red list. If there is a sudden change in conditions, a country or territory may be moved between lists without warning.

Green list of countries and territories

Ireland, the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

You do not need to take a COVID-19 test or quarantine on arrival in England if you are travelling within the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, (the Common Travel Area), and you have not been outside of the Common Travel Area in the previous 10 days.

Transit stops in amber or red list countries

When you arrive in England you need to follow the rules for the highest risk country or territory that you have been in or passed through in the previous 10 days. That can include transit stops.

A transit stop is a stop where passengers can get on or off the same part of the transport in which you are travelling. It can apply to ships, trains or flights. Your ticket should show if a stop is a transit stop.

The rules of a country or territory that you make a transit stop in could apply if:

• new passengers get on and are able to mix with you
• you or other passengers get off the transport you are on and mix with other people, then get on again

Making a transit stop would not affect what you have to do on arrival in England if, during the stop:

• no new passengers, who are able to mix with you, get on
• no-one on-board gets off and mixes with people outside
• passengers get off but do not get back on

Private vehicles or coaches travelling through amber or red list countries and territories

If you are travelling to England in a private vehicle, the rules of the countries and territories you drive through apply. For example, if you drive through an amber list country, then you must follow the amber list rules when you arrive in England.

This applies whether you stop in the country or territory or not. You need to record the countries and territories you drive through on your passenger locator form.

Transiting through airports in England

See what you need to do if you are transiting ‘landside’ or transiting ‘airside’ through England.

Job and medical exemptions

Some people are exempt from some or all of the requirements:

• because of the job they do
• for medical or compassionate reasons

Travelling abroad from England

You should not travel to amber list or red list countries or territories.

Read an overview of all the things you need to do to:

• travel abroad from England
• travel to England if you live in another country

Demonstrating your COVID-19 vaccination status when travelling abroad

People in England who have had a full vaccine course (2 doses) can demonstrate their COVID-19 vaccination status for outbound international travel.

Other countries or territories determine their own border health rules, which may include COVID-19 vaccination status. Check the entry requirements for your destination before travelling.

Find out:

• about demonstrating your NHS COVID-19 vaccination status using the NHS App, NHS website or letter
• if the countries or territories you are travelling to accept proof of COVID-19 vaccination status as part of their entry requirements
• how to prove your COVID-19 vaccination status if you are a resident of Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales

The government is working with the devolved administrations to ensure this facility is available to everyone across the UK.

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office travel advice

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) travel advice continues to advise against all non-essential travel to some countries and territories. Many other countries have rules in place about who can enter and what you can do when you are there. These rules are not related to which colour list that country is on. Before you travel, you should read:

• guidance on travelling abroad during the coronavirus pandemic
• FCDO travel advice for the countries you will visit