The UK government is considering plans to allow fully vaccinated Brits to skip quarantine requirements on their return to the UK from “amber” destinations.
Currently, anyone arriving from a “green” list country is not required to self-isolate. However, those arriving from “amber” destinations must quarantine for 10 days on their return.
The consideration to remove all self-isolation requirements for those arriving from “amber” list countries comes as the travel industry demands that the UK should follow similar procedures as our European neighbours when it comes to international travel.
With nearly 42 million people in the UK having received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, it is hoped that the success of the vaccine rollout should vastly reduce the risk of Brits being seriously ill with the virus and thus allow travel to safely resume.
Should proposals to scrap quarantine requirements for “amber” list countries go ahead, travellers must remember that just because a destination is classified as “amber”, doesn’t mean that they should necessarily travel there.
In some cases, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and traffic light system advice may differ. Therefore, if the destination you plan to visit is on the “amber” list, you should check the FCDO’s advice for that country before booking a holiday.
The reason it is important to check what the FCDO advises when booking a trip is that the majority of travel insurance policies will not cover you if you travel against their advice and later submit a claim.
Of course, it goes without saying that Brits should not be travelling to “red” destinations unless it is absolutely essential, as not only does the FCDO advise against travel to all of these destinations, but travellers do and will still need to quarantine for 10 days in a government-approved hotel at their own expense.
For more information on the restrictions each traffic light category currently means for travellers, click here.
