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Quarantine-free travel corridors: All the countries on the government’s list

Buyer beware: destinations can be dropped at short notice

Helen Coffey,Joanna Whitehead
Friday 11 September 2020 14:35 BST
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All travellers face a blanket two-week quarantine unless returning from certain countries
All travellers face a blanket two-week quarantine unless returning from certain countries (EPA)

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Since the UK government first announced the introduction of travel corridors on 10 July, the list has evolved on a regular basis, often at short-notice, leaving many holidaymakers in the lurch.

The original list of 59 countries from where travellers could arrive into England, Wales and Northern Ireland (57 for Scotland) without undergoing two weeks of mandatory quarantine has seen some new additions but a far greater number of removals.

The first to go were Spain and Serbia following spikes in coronavirus infection rates. Next was Luxembourg, swiftly followed by Belgium, the Bahamas and Andorra.

And then came France, the Netherlands and Malta, along with Monaco, Turks & Caicos and Aruba.

Portugal was removed from the list last week, while Sweden was reinstated.

The latest destinations to be removed from the list were Slovenia and Guadeloupe – but Thailand and Singapore were both added despite existing restrictions preventing the majority of travellers entering.

To complicate matters further, the respective governments of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have implemented different rules in relation to different countries, in recent weeks. 

In the Department for Transport’s words: “Countries and territories can be taken off or added to this exempt list at any time.”

The list, previously reviewed every three weeks, is now being updated weekly on Thursdays.

Decisions are based on a range of factors, but one key element seems to be the number of cases per 100,000 residents, as reported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

According to Paul Charles, travel consultant and chief executive of PR firm the PC Agency, “Anything above 20 per 100,000 for a period of seven days or more is likely to lead to that country being added to the quarantine list.”

He added: “It’s one statistic in particular that is being watched the most closely by Public Health England and the Joint Biosecurity Centre; that is the cumulative number, over 7 days, of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 of the population.”

Here’s the full list of countries those returning to England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can currently travel to without having to quarantine on their return.

England

Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

Barbados

Bermuda

Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba

British Antarctic Territory

British Indian Ocean Territory

British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Cayman Islands

The Channel Islands

Cuba 

Curaçao

Cyprus

Denmark

Dominica

Estonia

Falkland Islands

Faroe Islands

Fiji

Finland

Gibraltar

Germany

Greece, excluding the islands of Crete, Lesvos, Mykonos, Santorini, Serifos, Tinos and Zakynthos

Greenland

Grenada

Guadeloupe (will be removed from this list at 4am on 19 September)

Hong Kong

Iceland

Ireland

The Isle of Man

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Macao (Macau)

Malaysia

Mauritius

Montserrat

New Caledonia

New Zealand

Norway

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands

Poland

Portugal (Azores and Madeira only)

San Marino

Seychelles

Singapore (will be added to this list at 4am on 19 September)

Slovakia

Slovenia (will be removed from this list at 4am on 19 September)

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 (will be added to this list at 4am on 19 September)

Turkey

Vatican City State

Vietnam

Scotland

Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

Barbados

Bermuda

Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

British Antarctic Territory

British Indian Ocean Territory

British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Cayman Islands

Cuba

Curaçao

Cyprus, including the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in the Island of Cyprus

Denmark

Dominica

Estonia

Falkland Islands

Faroe Islands

Fiji

Finland

Germany

Gibraltar

Greenland

Grenada

Guadeloupe (will be removed from this list at 4am on 19 September)

Hong Kong

Iceland

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Macau

Malaysia

Mauritius

Montserrat

New Caledonia

New Zealand

Norway

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands

Poland

San Marino

Seychelles

Singapore (will be added to this list at 4am on 19 September)

Slovakia

Slovenia (will be removed from this list at 4am on 19 September)

St Barthélemy

St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

St Kitts & Nevis

St Lucia

St Pierre and Miquelon

St Vincent and the Grenadines

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

South Korea

Sweden 

Taiwan

Thailand (will be added to this list at 4am on 19 September)

Turkey

Vatican City State

Vietnam

Wales

Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

The Azores

Barbados

Bermuda

Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba

British Antarctic Territory

British Indian Ocean Territory

British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Cayman Islands

Channel Islands

Cuba

Curaçao

Cyprus

Denmark

Dominica

Estonia

Falkland Islands

Faroe Islands

Fiji

Finland

Germany

Gibraltar (will be added to this list at 4am on 19 September)

Greece, excluding the islands of Mykonos, Zakynthos (Zante), Lesvos, Paros and Antiparos, Santorini, Serifos, Tinos and Crete

Greenland

Grenada

Guadeloupe (will be removed from this list at 4am on 19 September)

Hong Kong

Iceland

Ireland

The Isle of Man

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Macao (Macau)

Madeira

Malaysia

Mauritius

Montserrat

New Caledonia

New Zealand

Norway

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands

Poland

San Marino

Seychelles

Singapore

Slovakia

Slovenia  (will be removed from this list at 4am on 19 September)

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 (will be added to this list at 4am on 19 September)

Trinidad and Tobago

Turkey

Vatican City State

Vietnam

Northern Ireland

Anguilla

Antigua and Barbuda

Australia

Barbados

Bermuda

Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

British Antarctic Territory

British Indian Ocean Territory

British Virgin Islands

Brunei

Cayman Islands

Cuba

Curaçao

Cyprus

Denmark

Dominica

Estonia

Falkland Islands

Faroe Islands

Fiji

Finland

Germany

Greece (excluding the islands of Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Crete, Mykonos, Santorini and Zakynthos (Zante)

Greenland

Grenada

Guadeloupe (will be removed from this list at 4am on 19 September)

Hong Kong

Iceland

Italy

Japan

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Macau

Madeira

Malaysia

Mauritius

Montserrat

New Caledonia

New Zealand

Norway

Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands

Poland

Portugal (Azores and Madeira only)

St Barthélemy

St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

St Kitts and Nevis

St Lucia

St Pierre and Miquelon

St Vincent and the Grenadines

San Marino

Seychelles

Singapore (will be added to this list at 4am on 19 September)

Slovakia

Slovenia  (will be removed from this list at 4am on 19 September)

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

South Korea

Sweden 

Taiwan

Thailand (will be added to this list at 4am on 19 September)

Turkey

Vatican City State

Vietnam

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