Jul
The latest steps towards reopening international travel make it easier for people vaccinated in Europe or the USA to travel to England.
Changes
The UK government announced on 28 July 2021 that passengers arriving from amber countries who have been fully vaccinated in Europe (EU Member States, European Free Trade Association countries and the European microstate countries of Andorra, Monaco and Vatican City) and the USA will not have to quarantine when entering England, as part of a range of new measures designed to continue to drive forward the reopening of international travel, set out as part of the second Global Travel Taskforce checkpoint review.
When does this take effect?
From 4am on 2 August 2021, passengers who are fully vaccinated in the EU with vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or in the USA with vaccines authorised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or in the Swiss vaccination programme, will be able to travel to England without having to quarantine or take a day 8 test on arrival.
Will I still need to take a Covid-19 test?
Amber arrivals who have been fully vaccinated in the USA and European countries will still be required to:
- Complete a pre-departure test before arrival into England
- A PCR test on or before day 2 after arrival.
- Those vaccinated in the US will also need to provide proof of US residency.
- Passengers from all countries cannot travel to the UK unless they have completed a passenger locator form.
What if I’m travelling from France?
Those arriving from France should continue to follow the separate rule. If a passenger has been in France in the 10 days before arriving in England, they must quarantine for 10 days after they arrive and take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8, even if they are fully vaccinated. They must follow the advice on how to quarantine if you are not fully vaccinated.
Stay safe
All measures announced today will be kept under review and be guided by the latest data. Public health remains our top priority, and we will not hesitate to act should the data show that countries’ risk ratings have changed.
Travel continues to be different this summer, and while some restrictions remain in place passengers should expect their experience to be different and may face longer wait times than they are used to – although the government is making every effort to speed up queues safely. We will continue to rollout upgrades to our e-gates over the summer to automate checks for health requirements, with many e-gates already in operation and more to be added over the coming months to increase automated checks on passengers at airports.
If travelling abroad, you should continue to take the steps to keep safe and prepare in case things change before you go or while you are there. Check the booking terms and conditions on flexibility and refunds and subscribe to FCDO travel advice updates to understand the latest entry requirements and COVID-19 rules at their destination.
You can read the press release here or read the red, amber and green list rules for entering England.
Accommodation Advice
If you have any further questions regarding quarantine requirements or accommodation, please contact our Reservations team on 01189 514151. We deal with international travellers daily and will happily use our wealth of experience to assist you.