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From July 10 people who live in England will be able to travel to countries without having to quarantine for 14 days when they return home.
The government has drawn up the “travel corridor” list, published on Friday, after deciding which countries now have “a reduced risk” of coronavirus.
It features popular short-haul destinations such as Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus, as well as long-haul locations including Australia, Barbados, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and Vietnam.
Portugal, the US, China and Thailand are among the notable absentees.
Under current rules introduced on June 8, most travellers who arrive in the UK have to isolate for two weeks.
Today’s announcement means people living in England will more easily be able to take a summer holiday abroad.
The lifting of quarantine restrictions when returning from international travel does not yet apply to people arriving in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales.
The full list of countries:
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Antigua and Barbuda |
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Aruba |
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Australia |
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Austria |
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Bahamas |
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Barbados |
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Belgium |
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Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba |
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Croatia |
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Curaçao |
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Cyprus |
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Czech Republic |
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Denmark |
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Dominica |
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Faroe Islands |
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Fiji |
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Finland |
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France |
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French Polynesia |
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Germany |
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Greece |
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Greenland |
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Grenada |
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Guadeloupe |
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Hong Kong |
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Hungary |
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Iceland |
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Italy |
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Jamaica |
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Japan |
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Liechtenstein |
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Lithuania |
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Luxembourg |
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Macau |
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Malta |
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Mauritius |
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Monaco |
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Netherlands |
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New Caledonia |
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New Zealand |
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Norway |
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Poland |
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Réunion |
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San Marino |
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Serbia |
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Seychelles |
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South Korea |
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Spain |
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St Barthélemy |
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St Kitts and Nevis |
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St Lucia |
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St Pierre and Miquelon |
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Switzerland |
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Taiwan |
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Trinidad and Tobago |
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Turkey |
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Vatican City |
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Vietnam |
Approved destinations pose “a reduced risk to the public health of UK citizens” but the list will be kept “under constant review”, the Department for Transport said.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will exempt the approved countries from its advisory against all non-essential travel from Saturday, while the quarantine policy will be amended from July 10.
That means people who depart on Saturday and spend at least six days in one of the listed locations will not need to self-isolate on their return.
Passengers will still be required to provide contact information on arrival in England.
The 14-day self-isolation policy for UK arrivals – bar a handful of exemptions – was introduced on June 8.
It was met with fierce criticism over the impact on the UK’s travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
The UK government was unable to convince the devolved administrations to sign off on the plan before it was made public.