It's official: U.K. government lifts quarantine restrictions for travel from 59 low-risk countries
International travel is about to get a lifeline from the U.K. government. As of Friday, the government has unveiled plans to allow for those from 59 low-risk countries to not have to self-isolate when entering England as of July 10.
Travelers returning to or visiting England from certain destinations will no longer have to isolate for 14 days when they arrive in England as of July 10. The full list of 59 exempt countries includes:
- Australia and Pacific Islands: Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, New Zealand
- Africa: Mauritius, Reunion, Seychelles
- Asia: Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam
- Caribbean and Central America: Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, St Barthelemy, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago
- Europe: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Vatican City
- North America: St Pierre and Miquelon
"These are countries where it is now possible to travel if you’re in England to those countries and back and not have to quarantine at the end of the holiday," Transport Minister Grant Schapps said in an interview on Friday.
Ireland, as well as the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man remain on the exempt list. In addition, the 14 British Overseas Territories are exempt. The restrictions apply to all who travel to England by train, ferry, coach, air or any other route.
It's worth noting that if you are a national of one of the 59 exempt countries but have traveled to a nonexempt country in the past 14 days, you will still be subject to the 14-day self-isolation requirement when arriving in England.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has also updated its guidance. As of July 4, the FCO said that travel to 67 countries "no longer presents an unacceptably high risk to British people traveling abroad." As such, it's revised its nonessential travel restrictions. You can find the full list of 67 countries that the FCO says it is safe to travel to here.
In effect, this means that for travel to these 67 countries, your travel insurance is once again valid.
In March, the FCO set out its original guidance, advising British nationals against all nonessential international travel, which has remained in place since. Friday's announcement is the first change to that policy, which will allow travelers to visit eligible countries without having to worry whether or not their insurance will be valid.
On June 8, the government first implemented its mandatory 14-day quarantine for all arriving international passengers — including U.K. nationals. The aviation and travel industries had largely opposed the requirements since it was introduced, with IAG, Ryanair and EasyJet formally taking legal action against the government.
According to the government, the list of exempt countries will be kept under constant review.
All passengers, regardless of where they're arriving from, will still be required to provide contact information when arriving in the U.K. This applies to both visitors and U.K. residents. You can find the form here.
Arriving passengers from countries not on the exempt list will still be required to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival in the U.K. Additionally, the changing FCO advice will not apply to countries that are deemed high-risk, such as the United States.
Featured photo by Nachosuch/Getty.
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Build your loyalty to Delta by applying for the carrier's mid-tier card option, the Delta SkyMiles Platinum card. The annual fee is quickly recouped by the card's travel perks, such as an application credit to Global Entry or TSA Precheck, annual companion certificate and so much more. Plus you can fast-track to elite status simply through card spend.Pros
- Earn bonus Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) and an Medallion Qualifying Dollar (MQD) waiver when you hit specific spending thresholds with your card within a calendar year
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year
- Statement credit for TSA PreCheck/Global Entry fee (up to $100)
- First checked bag free
Cons
- Doesn't make sense if you don't fly Delta
- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees