2020-10-15 21:00:42 | The countries exempt from England’s travel quarantine

English travellers are currently able to visit a select number of countries without facing a 14-day quarantine, under plans first announced in July by the Government.

What’s the latest news?

• Italy will be removed from the exemption list at 4am on October 18. If you return from Italy after this time you must self-isolate
• Crete will return to the list on the same date, meaning travellers who arrive in the UK after 4am on Oct 18 will no longer-need to self-isolate
• Travellers who return from the Greek islands of Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Santorini and Zakynthos after 4am on October 10 will no longer need to self-isolate

The full list

The Transport Secretary Grant Shapps provides weekly updates on which countries the Government has abandoned its quarantine policy for. They are:

Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

The Azores

Barbados

Bermuda

British Antarctic Territory

British Indian Ocean Territory

British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Cayman Islands

Channel Islands

Cuba

Cyprus

Dominica

Estonia

Falkland Islands

Faroe Islands

Fiji

Finland

Germany

Gibraltar

Greece – except:

Greenland

Grenada

Hong Kong

Ireland

the Isle of Man

Italy*

Japan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Macau

Madeira

Malaysia

Mauritius

Montserrat

New Caledonia

New Zealand

Norway

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands

San Marino

Seychelles

Singapore

South Korea

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

St Barthélemy

St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

St Kitts and Nevis

St Lucia

St Pierre and Miquelon

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Sweden

Taiwan

Thailand

Vatican City

Vietnam

*will be removed at 4am on Oct 18 – including Vatican City and San Marino

I’m returning from a country not on the list. What are the quarantine rules?

If you return to the UK from a country that is not on the travel corridor list you must self-isolate. 

When you get home, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days. 

You must also show proof of a completed passenger locator form at the UK border. You may be refused permission to enter the UK (if you are not a British citizen), or fined if you do not provide your contact details or fail to self-isolate.

If you travel from an exempt country but have been in a country that is not exempt within the past 14 days, you will need to self-isolate for the remainder of the 14 days since you were in a non-exempt country. If you transit through a country that is not exempt you will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

For example, if you arrive in the UK from a country that is exempt, but you travelled to the exempt country four days ago from a country that is not exempt, you will need to self-isolate for 10 days. If you’re travelling to the UK for less than 10 days you will need to self-isolate for the duration of your visit.