These are all the countries UK travellers can visit without quarantine
Over the past six months, you likely will have heard about the UK’s ‘air bridges’ for quarantine-free travel to around 70 countries. For anyone eager to get out and explore the world again, it sounds like the stuff of lockdown-induced dreams.
Look closer at the details, however, and your options don’t seem quite so expansive. Just because the UK has opened up a ‘travel corridor’ with a country – removing a mandatory self-quarantine period on arrival back to the UK, and revoking the official advice against travel – doesn’t mean you’re welcome there.
In fact, in many cases, countries on the UK’s safe-travel list still have their borders closed to international visitors and no flights available. In other places, you’re free to travel but you’ll still face a quarantine of up to 14 days on arrival. And since a new, more transmissible Covid-19 variant first detected in the South-East of England was found to have spread across the whole country, many nations have now suspended flights to and from the UK entirely.
(Note also that for UK residents under the new Tier 4 restrictions, including London, overseas travel is not allowed except for work or education.)
So the question is: where can you actually go, and not have to quarantine either when you land or when you return home? Here are all the countries and territories currently open to UK travellers, along with information on flights, testing, and health and accommodation forms you may have to fill out.
Antigua and Barbuda
This Caribbean archipelago is allowing in Brits, but you must complete an accommodation form in advance and a ‘health declaration’ form on the flight, as well as provide a negative test result from within seven days of arrival. Virgin Atlantic and British Airways are running direct flights.
Aruba
As of November 28, Brits can travel to Aruba without having to quarantine on their return home. To avoid having to self-isolate on the Caribbean island, all visitors have to do is provide a negative test result from within the past 72 hours, buy Aruba’s own health insurance policy, and fill out this form. There are no direct flights.
Botswana
As of December 12, the country has joined the UK’s ‘travel-corridor’ list. Anyone arriving in Botswana must provide a negative test result from within the past 72 hours. There are no direct flights.
Dominica
You must fill out a ‘health declaration’ form before departure and present a negative test result from within the past 72 hours on arrival. There are no direct flights.
Dubai is now welcoming British travellers without any major restrictions. All visitors are required to fill out a ‘health declaration’ form and provide valid health insurance on arrival. You will also have to present a negative PCR test result from within the past 96 hours, or take a test at the airport. Several airlines are already running direct flights.
As of October 25, the Maldives is now on the UK’s ‘travel-corridor’ list. All international visitors must present a negative test result from within 96 hours of arrival. British Airways is already running direct flights. Note that all non-tourist arrivals (such as residents, work visa holders and returning students) will have to quarantine for ten days.
Rwanda
There are no quarantine restrictions. All travellers will, however, be required to bring a negative test result from within the past five days, and take another test on arrival and self-isolate for 24 hours while awaiting the results. There are no direct flights.
Brits arriving on the Caribbean island must provide a negative test result from within the past week. There will be further temperature checks at the airport, and you must spend your entire stay at an ‘authorised’ hotel. BA is running direct flights from London.
Turks and Caicos Islands
As of November 14, the British overseas territory has joined the UK’s ‘travel-corridor’ list. You will have to provide a negative test result from within the past five days on arrival, along with valid health insurance and a completed ‘travel authorisation’ form. There are no direct flights.
An up-to-date list of all UK ‘travel corridors’ can be found here. But remember that, as in the case of Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Croatia, France and Turkey, the British government may choose to reimpose restrictions at a few hours’ notice, meaning you could still have to quarantine when you get home. Note also that rules may differ slightly for travellers from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Certain ‘high-value’ business travellers, along with journalists, sportspeople and performing arts professionals, should also be aware that, as of December 5, they may no longer need to quarantine on their return from any country.
Remember, many countries are still warning against all non-essential travel and some are quarantining all overseas arrivals, including their own returning citizens. Check all the relevant restrictions before you think about travelling.
How safe is flying right now? We asked an expert.
Here’s everything you need to know about travel to Europe after Brexit.
