• Green: Travellers must take a pre-departure test and a PCR test on or before day two of their arrival back into England. Holidaymakers who test negative will not need to quarantine on their return or take any additional tests, halving the cost of tests post holiday.
Those travelling to green list countries no longer have to self-isolate on their return to the UK but will be required to take a PCR test.
The green list consists of Portugal, Israel, Gibraltar, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Iceland and the Faroe Islands and the Falklands.
This is in addition to the remote territories of the Falklands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.
Despite being on the green list, people are currently unable to go on holiday to Australia, New Zealand or Singapore as they are closed to UK tourists.
• Amber: Arrivals must quarantine for 10 days. People must take a pre-departure test and a PCR test on day two and day eight with the option for “test to release” on day five to end self-isolation early.
Amber List
Afghanistan
Akrotiri and Dhekelia
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia
Aruba
Austria
Azerbaijan
The Bahamas
Bahrain
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Bosnia and Herzegovina
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
China
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue
Costa Rica
Côte d’Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czech Republic (Czechia)
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Fiji
Finland
France
French Polynesia
Gabon
The Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece (including islands)
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Madagascar
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Myanmar (Burma)
Nauru
Netherlands
New Caledonia
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Korea
North Macedonia
Norway
The Occupied Palestinian Territories
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
Poland
Réunion
Romania
Russia
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
South Korea
South Sudan
Spain (including the Balearics and Canary Islands)
Sri Lanka
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Maarten
St Martin and St Barthélemy
St Pierre and Miquelon
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Sudan
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United States (USA)
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Western Sahara
Yemen
• Red: Those returning from red list countries must stay in a managed quarantine hotel for ten days which they should book before their trip. Travellers must complete pre-departure testing and PCR testing on day two and day eight.
Red list
Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bangladesh, India, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Turkey and the Maldives.
To prevent the spread of Covid-19 and potentially harmful variants into the UK, people who have travelled from or passed through a red list country must self-isolate in government-approved quarantine hotel.
Travellers must complete 10 days of quarantine which begins at 0.01am on the first day after arrival.
A Covid test must be taken on day two and day eight. Guests are permitted to leave the hotel after completing 10 full days provided they test negative for the virus.
Transport is provided from the airport to the hotel and passengers who have parked at the airport will need to extend their parking period.
Full board is provided as part of the quarantine package including three daily meals, fresh fruit, tea, coffee, soft drinks and water.
Travellers must pay £1,750 for their stay, with an additional rate of £650 for children over 12 and £325 for children between five and 12 years old.
Children under five have no additional cost. This includes the cost of transport and testing
PCR tests must be booked through an approved Government provider.
Tests currently cost between £120 and £160, however ministers are looking at ways to reduce the price to just £45 to help boost the travel industry.
Mr Shapps told the Commons in April: “We’ve seen some success so far because the cost of a single PCR day two test now has come down to £60 from one of the large providers on the government-linked site with a new entrant now at £44.90, enabling more people to access PCR tests as international travel returns.”
Travelling to Cyprus
The UK entered Cyprus’ Amber category on 29 April.
Passengers coming from Amber Category countries are required to undergo a PCR test within 72 hours prior to departure and provide proof of a negative result. The following categories of passengers may opt to take a laboratory test only upon their arrival in the Republic of Cyprus, at their own expense and subject to self-isolation until a negative result is obtained:
- Cypriot citizens and family members (alien spouses and their underage children),
- Persons legally residing in the Republic,
- Persons entitled to enter the Republic under the Vienna Convention.
Results from the PCR test taken before travel can be in the form of an email or SMS, but the result itself and/or appointment letter must include the date and time when the test was taken. You should not use the NHS testing service to get a test in order to facilitate your travel to another country. You should arrange to take a private test.
All permitted travellers must complete a Cyprus Flight Pass before their journey, available on the Cyprus Flight Pass website. Where relevant, you will be responsible for ensuring your PCR test result is uploaded to Cyprus Flight Pass within 24 hours of your departure. If you need to provide your appointment letter you can upload both documents in a single photo. In addition to obtaining the Cyprus Flight Pass, passengers are required to carry with them, in hard copy or electronically, copies of these documents. You will be asked to present your flight pass prior to boarding and on arrival at immigration. The Cyprus government have a help desk to assist travellers with queries regarding the use of the Cyprus Flight Pass. This service is accessible by telephone +(357) 2484 1234 and through the Cyprus Flight Pass e-platform. You should continue to track developments through the Republic of Cyprus Information Office.
The Republic of Cyprus authorities have announced that from 1 May 2021 travellers with proof of two COVID-19 vaccinations completed within a specified timeframe before travel will not be required to take a pre-departure PCR test. Until there is means to certify vaccinations for international travel, you should follow the guidance above on pre-departure PCR tests for passengers coming from Amber Category countries.
For those travelling to the north of Cyprus, if you have been in the UK within 14 days before your travel to Cyprus, you will be required to quarantine for 10 days at authority-designated accommodation.