Since the UK banned non-essential travel and introduced hotel quarantine for arrivals from high-risk countries, changes to the green list have been on everybody’s lips.
The current red list has 43 countries on it, including the UAE, Qatar and Oman, meaning arrivals from these spots have to shell out £1,750 ($2,430) for a ten-day hotel stay.
But on Monday May 17, the UK is set to dramatically loosen its border restrictions, allowing tourists from certain countries to return for the first time in months.
Ahead of that change in policy, just 12 nations and territories have been included on the UK green list. They include:
Portugal
Israel
Gibraltar
Iceland
Faroe Islands
Brunei
Falkland Islands
Australia
New Zealand
Singapore
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands
How will the red, green and amber lists work?
Currently, the UK ‘red list’ lays out the countries from which travel is absolutely forbidden, except for returning British and Irish citizens plus official UK residents. Under the latest government plans, this list will be expanded into a broader traffic light system for international travel.
Under the new rules, every country in the world is set to be sorted into one of three ‘green’, ‘amber’ or ‘red’ categories, depending on a range of factors. These include the proportion of a country’s population that has been vaccinated, rates of infection and emerging variants.
Those arriving from destinations on the so-called ‘green list’ will only have to provide a negative test result when they arrive. There will be no requirement to self-isolate – either at home or in a hotel.
Anyone arriving from countries rated ‘amber’ will likely still have to self-isolate for ten days at home, while those coming from ‘red’ countries will still have to quarantine in a government-mandated hotel at a cost of £1,750 ($2,430) per head.
