The much awaited ‘Freedom Day’ of the 19th July has come and gone, with nightclubs opening and weddings now allowing guests to stand up with drinks in their hand, along with singing and dancing. But to answer the question, unfortunately it looks like it will be even more difficult to get that much wanted holiday abroad this summer, so not exactly freedom to do everything day!
From 19 July, all holidaymakers who have had two Covid jabs heading back from amber list countries, were originally told they would not need to complete the 10 days’ isolation at home on return from their holiday. However, a last-minute change of rules by minsters has meant that travellers returning to England from France will still be required to quarantine at home for 10 days, even if they are double-jabbed. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have all aligned with England in the new rules for double vaccinated travellers and the exemption for France. This new rule is being called ‘Amber List Plus’.
Concerns are now growing that Spain and Greece could be added to the “amber plus” list too after new figures revealed that Covid cases are rising in both countries.
When travelling abroad it is not just the Green, Amber and Red lists you need to check, you also need to check that the country you are planning to travel to does not have any Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) restrictions placed on it. If you travel against the advice of the FCDO, regardless of what list the country you are travelling to is on, this will invalidate your cover on the majority of travel insurance policies. And those travel insurance providers who do allow you to travel against FCDO advice generally restrict the cover available on their policies, so it is advisable to check any of these policies very carefully to ensure that the cover provided fully suits you needs.
To check the FCDO travel advice please click here
