Simon Calder’s expert answers to 28 of your traffic light and green list travel questions

The next review of green list status will be in the first week of June

Travel guides: Simon Calder and Stairway Guide on board MSC Virtuosa (Sarah Calder)

The Travel Correspondent of The Independent is never happier than when sharing a piña colada and a joke with the captain on the top deck of an exotic cruise ship.

But every so often we track him down and make him answer your questions live for an hour.

This is the compilation of the 20 May session.

Traffic light changes

Q: Do you have an idea of when next traffic light review is?

Rachel Bee

A: I keep being told the first week in June. The latest date I guess would be 7 June, and we also know the new list will take effect a week later. So changes on or before 14 June would fit in with ministerial pronouncements.

Q: I am hoping to come over to London for a few days from Paris, most likely end June / beginning of July. Any chance of France being on the green list by then?

Elizabeth N

A: The later you leave it, the higher the chances. I don’t expect France will be in the first review of green list nations, but by July I would be expecting to see it join the list of low-risk countries.

Q: We are currently booked to travel to Dubai at the end of June, however we note that the UAE has so far remained on the red list due to being a travel hub. Is it likely that the UAE will become green before the end of June?

If this is unlikely then we are looking to change our booking to go to Malta instead on the same dates. This is currently amber however I have seen many are expecting it to go “green” soon. Is it likely that Malta will be added to the green list before the end of June?

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Darren F

A: I think the chances of the UAE switching from red list to green within the next 40 days look remote indeed. Although we haven’t seen any “live action” on the red, amber and green lists, I imagine that a country on the red list would only move to the amber list in a single bound – followed by a few weeks’ wait, minimum, before continuing to green.

Malta’s numbers suggest it should have been on the green list from day one, and I imagine it will be one of the first to be added at the review early next month.

Q: How much notice will those in amber destinations get to return home if that country is put on the red list while there?

Dren

A: While there has been plenty of talk of the green watchlist, with notice given if a country looks as though it is heading for amber, there is no such intention for countries moving from amber to red.

In practice, though, I think some allowance will be given – for many of the countries on the current red list there have been several days; for Turkey, travellers were given five days to return to the UK before red status kicked in.

Q: We are going to Tenerife on the 26 June, what do you think the chances are of it being green by then?

Also, do you think Majorca will be green by the beginning of August?

Anna J

A: Tenerife on green list by 26 June 50-50; Mallorca on green by August 75:25.

Q: Could I have your thoughts on Rhodes making the green list at the next review?

Celine P

A: I estimate 75:25. Enjoy.

Q: I am going to Spain in the beginning June. But I have been told that the authorities in Spain are still turning people back to UK from Alicante airport (unless residents) . Do you know what the latest is from Spanish authorities?

Yvonne S

A: Update on Friday is that UK visitors will be welcomed from Monday 24 May. But as all of Spain is on the amber list you will need to follow all the rules, including self-isolation, when you return to the UK.

UK and Ireland trips

Q: I know I have to get a PCR to go to Ireland and then one after five days to release from quarantine. Do I need a PCR to return to UK after 3 weeks? Travelling by ferry.

Sarey

A: Travelling from anywhere in the Common Travel Area (which includes Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) to the UK has not involved any testing at any stage in the coronavirus pandemic. I do not expect that to change.

Q: Can I go on holiday from England to Northern Ireland in June. The rules are looking very confusing?

Joel T

A: I am delighted to say that Northern Ireland is opening up tourism facilities from 24 May. I haven’t checked out the exact wording but I think it is extremely likely that leisure visits from Great Britain will be allowed from next Monday onwards.

Within the UK there are rarely any obstacles to travel from one nation to another. I can’t wait to get back to Belfast.

Testing, testing

Q: Coming back to England from Crete, would a lateral flow test be OK or has it got to be a PCR?

Marlene K

A: The testing rules for coming back to the UK are very broad. There is no point having a PCR test when a lateral flow one will do – it is much quicker and cheaper.

But you have to have two PCR tests booked back in the UK for when you return from Crete, although if the island’s status changes to green before you arrive in the UK then you will need only one – so don’t book any tests back home in the UK until just before you return.

Q: I am travelling to Greece on 22 June. I know I need a PCR test before I go. It is only for two nights. Do I then need to book another PCR (in the UK) test for my return or does the PCR need to be taken in Greece for results before I board the flight?

Dianusia

A: There is no certainty about what you might need for Greece a month from now – wait and see. At present it’s “jab or test,” so if you have had both vaccinations by the time you go, you won’t need a test.

But coming home you will need a test in Greece and a pre-booked one (if it moves to the green list) or two (if it stays on amber) when you return to the UK.

Q: Please could you confirm what actually has to be done when travelling to an “amber list” country. It all seems rather unclear. I am hoping to travel to Hungary in mid June. By the looks of it I just need to fill out a passenger locator form, and take a private PCR test before leaving. Then take a further private PCR test before I get the flight back?

Matt Denmann

A: No tests are required simply to leave the UK (whether you need to test before departure depends on what Hungary’s own requirements are for arrivals by that point). Neither must you fill in the passenger locator form until you return here. But from amber nations two PCR tests must be booked before you depart for the UK, so that you can enjoy them after arrival, plus you’ll need to present a negative test result in order to depart for the UK.

Q: I’ve taken the plunge and I’m flying to Porto on 2 June from Edinburgh (£10 return compared to well over £100 from airports in England) . The Scottish government website says I have to book an £88 PCR test for my return using a link on their site, giving me no other choice of an alternative provider.

Is this the rule in Scotland or can I go to another cheaper provider as I am going back to an English address albeit flying into Edinburgh? Also I wondered who did your lateral flow test in Portugal prior to your return and how that worked out please. I see that Porto airport has a “Synlab” that will do it for €30.

David Greenwood

A: Good (if niche) questions. Frankly, David, I would bite the bullet and pay the £88 as invited – rather than getting into a semantic discussion about the exact regulations on your return to Edinburgh. I paid £60 for my test on return to England. I was on a short enough trip to Portugal that the test I had to undertake to get into Portugal was sufficiently recent to qualify as my pre-departure test for returning to the UK.

You may think this is a mad rule. I don’t make them, I simply follow them and report them.

Portugal problems

Q: I am travelling to Portugal from Luton on a Saturday lunchtime, I have booked my pre-travel PCR test for Wednesday afternoon to try and ensure I get the results in time. If my flight is delayed so my PCR test is more than 72 hours old, will I be prevented from boarding?

Howard N

A: I think that would be very unlikely. Your timing looks entirely reasonable. If the 72-hour limit was breached by a couple of hours because of the airline, so long as you can show you did everything right to comply with the law, I imagine the slight discrepancy would be waived.

Q: What’s the best option for testing for a holiday to Portugal in the first week in July?

Can I get a lateral flow test at Faro airport to come home?

Marc 1882

A: There are plenty of opportunities to take a lateral flow test in Portugal, for example at pharmacies and also some hotels.

Q: Do you think Portugal will stay on the green list at the next review? Will we get any notice if it is going amber? I want to book a holiday 5-9 June but am worried about it coming off the list midway through.

Jess 1986

A: Having just come back from Portugal, and looked at the trajectory of the virus and vaccinations, I think it most unlikely that Portugal will be taken off the green list over the next few weeks.

In general I expect the direction of travel to be countries moving from red to amber and from amber to green as Covid rates fall and vaccinations rise.

Q: I am hoping to go to Portugal in September, my trip was originally booked for March 2020 so really hoping I can finally go! Do you think it will stay on the green list till then?

Also I am fully vaccinated but my travelling friend will not be by September. Does this mean I will be exempt from some of the tests and she will not be? Basically are we assessed on an individual basis?

Freya J

A: I estimate the chance as just one in 10 that Portugal will leave the green list by September. But only evens (50:50) about whether vaccination status will be relevant by then.

Q: Do you think Portugal will accept the vaccine proof over a PCR test anytime soon? Don’t want to book four non-refundable tests now if they are likely to change the requirement for them in the next 10 days

Sandseeker

A: Certainly don’t book tests yet. The Portuguese demand for PCR tests might be eased at any time. It is extremely onerous and expensive, and looks to me disproportionate.

Q: If you are still in the isolation period after returning from an amber country can you go to Portugal?

Richard Gill

A: Yes, you can go. In fact many people cut down on quarantine in the UK by leaving the country again. It is perfectly legal.

If anyone asks, here’s the law: “Passengers must, on their arrival in England, travel directly to the place at which they are to self-isolate, and must then self-isolate until whichever is the earlier of— (a) the end of the 10th day after the day on which they arrived in England or, if later, the end of any period that applies by virtue of paragraph 2 or 3 of Schedule 8; (b) their departure from England.”

In translation: go straight home and quarantine, for 10 days or until you go straight to an airport to leave the country again.

Further afield

Q: This is a bit of a crystal ball one! I’m thinking of booking flights to Australia for next year and I’ve had two doses of vaccine.

One – would you advise for or against?

Two – what would be the situation if you decided not to go if Australia still requires quarantine on arrival meaning it’s not worthwhile going?

“Eig45”

A: This isn’t a crystal ball answer, and I hope you don’t find it too blunt.

It is hard to think of a more reckless travel purchase than to commit to flights to a country that shows no hurry at all in opening up to British visitors.

Let me explain why. The only point in buying flights many months in advance is to lock into low prices and to ensure that you get a seat on an in-demand flight. But with the exception of Christmas and the New Year, I have never seen a time where you can’t grab a perfectly good fare to the key Australian cities on the eve of departure – or even on the day of travel. Usually Cathay Pacific has some great fares, sometimes one of the Gulf-based airlines and occasionally United via the US (which I tend to avoid because of all the extra hassle).

So whenever you decide to go you can be sure of finding a good deal – and right now the airlines are not selling for December next year. Committing to a flight would leave your money tied up with no prospect of a refund (though hopefully a rebook) if the flight goes ahead but you choose not to go because of onerous travel rules.

More broadly, the prospect of the Australian government letting us in at any point during the rest of this year looks remote, and some of the comments from ministers in Canberra suggest that mid-2022 might be a target date.

At that point, it would be midwinter in Australia – not a bad time to be in parts of the north, but dismal in Tasmania and other southern points. So practice masterful inactivity for a few more months.

Q: I am relocating to Mexico a week on Monday for work and personal reasons. I will not be returning.

I have booked just the outbound flight; I understand I don’t need a PCR test but to fill out two health forms. I noticed a reporter who flew out there two weeks ago was asked for proof for reasons to travel, also two PCRs test for her return journey and a passenger location form.

Can you shed some light on this? As I am not returning I assume I do not need to book the return PCR test or the location form?

“Ian1111”

A: How exciting to be relocating to Mexico, Ian. The ban on international travel was lifted on Monday 17 May. Anyone living in the UK can go anywhere in the world. Ministers would really rather you did not, but they chose to remove the travel ban.

I haven’t seen the story about the journalist, but the only time a passenger locator form and PCR tests become relevant when heading back to the UK is at the foreign airport before departure.

Q: Why do you think the USA still has a travel ban on the UK? They allow visitors from all over the world from the likes of Turkey and Japan who have very poor vaccination and case records. I am really interested to know your take on this situation, I am due to travel at the end of July and am losing confidence.

David Pinder

A: Let me try to restore your confidence. I think the UK may be a victim of Joe Biden needing to get on with one or two other things that the White House feels are more pressing. He signed a presidential proclamation in January that outlawed British people going direct to the US, because at the time infection rates and sadly deaths from coronavirus in the UK were soaring.

That picture has now thankfully turned around. Since the US is not especially dependent on inbound tourism (although the businesses of Florida wish that the Brits were back), travel bands are fairly low on the list of priorities.

Mr Biden comes to the UK in June for the G-7 Summit, and I am pretty sure he will bring a “Disney dividend” for the government here, in the shape of opening up the US to British visitors once more. Were this to happen, I am convinced that the UK will reciprocate and put the US on the green list.

Q: What do you make of the Emirates chairman claiming this week that the UAE will be removed from the red list very shortly?

“FI86”

A: The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, says: “We are not restricting UAE because of levels of coronavirus in the UAE.

“The specific issue in the UAE is one of transit. It’s because they are a major transit hub.

“The Joint Biosecurity Centre can work wonders studying all this detail, but eventually you get to the point where they are having to make too many assumptions about where people are travelling to/from.

“And that is specific issue we have with the UAE as opposed to prevalence or some other reason.”

Given his words, it is difficult to see a change to the advice for the UAE any time soon.

Legal concerns

Q: We are booked for an Antigua holiday in mid June. If it is not on the green list by then we are considering going anyway. At this point in time the Foreign Office looks to allow travel. My travel insurance company says it will be fine if the Foreign Office gives the OK for travel.

My big fear is when at Gatwick at passport control they ask: “Are you going for a holiday?”

Ethan45

A: I completely understand your concern, Ethan, but please do not be misled by the comments of government ministers. If they had really wanted to stop you and I from travelling to amber and red list countries, they could have simply kept the law banning international leisure travel in place and relaxed it a tiny bit for the green list nations.

There is no outbound passport control at Gatwick and, even if there were, it would not be up to the officer to decide whether you should or should not be able to travel. I hope you have a great trip.

Q: With the FCDO now adding clear guidance that people shouldn’t travel to amber and red list countries, but with numerous countries that are on the amber list having no FCDO guidance against travel, how can consumers be expected to make the right decisions on whether to travel?

Should the travel industry stop all flights to amber listed countries to appease the situation?

HobbieHorse

A: The traffic light system is specifically about the risk of importation to the UK of cases of coronavirus, and especially variants of concern.

Foreign Office travel advice measures something completely different: the risk to the traveller of being in a particular location. So there is no reason why they would align. I appreciate it is confusing, with two branches of government apparently advising different things, but that is the way the system is set up.

It is extremely difficult for consumers to make the right decision when there is so much conflicting advice from the government. But the airlines would say they are simply offering a service and there is no obligation for anybody to take up those flights.

Between 6am and 10.15am today, 50 flights departed from London Heathrow destined for red list or amber list locations.

Travel insurance

Q: We are due to fly to Corfu for two weeks to see friends/have a holiday on 6 July. The Foreign Office advice allows travel to this Greek island. We have had both vaccinations earlier this year, and we have booked pre-departure and PCR tests to come back.

Will our travel insurance cover us if we were to travel while this is the Foreign Office advice status? If we didn’t go, are we likely to get a refund on our flights? Many thanks.

“Becka 49”

A: As mentioned, the deciding factor for travel insurance is: does the Foreign Office warn against travel?

If you have booked flight-only and the trip goes ahead, you have no entitlement to a refund, but most airlines these days will allow you to switch without penalty – though often you will need to pay more for the postponed flights.

Q: I need to make a trip to Canada in the next couple of weeks and I can’t find anyone who will provide travel insurance.

Every company I approach specifically excludes countries to which the FCDO have advised against all but essential travel, even where the policy excludes Covid-19 cover. Do you know of an insurer who will be able to provide cover?

Fludds 8

A: Companies including Battleface, CoverForYou and Outbacker provide such cover, and an increasing range of general travel insurance firms add the option at a higher premium – I am surprised you’ve been unable to find one.

Q: Travel insurance seems to not apply to amber countries. But what if the traveller has permission to enter the country because of exceptional personal circumstances?

My elderly mother in Switzerland is hospitalised and going from there to a care home. I must go to empty her flat, sell her belongings, etc. So assuming the Swiss consulate here allows me to travel there, why couldn’t I get travel insurance?

Grumpy

A: You can always get travel insurance, if you talk to the company and let them know what it is that you are proposing. They can then decide a suitable premium. Some companies (mentioned above) are specialists in insurance against Foreign Office advice.

Sadly, Brexit means that British visitors to Switzerland are no longer covered by the European Health Insurance Card (Ehic) – so going uninsured is not a wise option.